


The Comeback

by RelentlassHuggerSquad, RipStorm



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Annabeth Chase as a gym owner, Chiron owns the gym, F/M, MMA AU, Multi, Percy Jackson as an MMA Fighter, Reyna as Percy's trainer, Slow Burn, more tags to be added later, percabeth
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:54:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 33,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23704963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RelentlassHuggerSquad/pseuds/RelentlassHuggerSquad, https://archiveofourown.org/users/RipStorm/pseuds/RipStorm
Summary: The MMA/Percy Jackson AU nobody asked for.Percy 'Riptide' Jackson is on top of the world, a champion MMA fighter. He has the girls, the money, the fame, everything he could ever want, until a devastating knee injury sidelines his career. One downward spiral later and he loses everything.Annabeth Chase helps run her mentor Chiron's small gym and is struggling to keep it afloat. Chiron wants to give Percy a second chance at getting back to the top of the mountain, but Annabeth is reluctant to help a loose canon like Percy. Both the gym and Percy are in desperate need of a come back, so Annabeth agrees to a hail Mary. She decides to risk it all in a last ditch effort to save the gym. Annabeth decides to build a rag-tag team around Percy, and have a documentary made about his path back to redemption.Can Percy win the fight against his demons or will they defeat him in the end? Can Annabeth save the gym or is she going to lose the only things she actually cares about?Sometimes the greatest feel-good story is only as good as the come back.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Hazel Levesque/Frank Zhang, Jason Grace/Piper McLean, Luke Castellan/Thalia Grace
Comments: 52
Kudos: 111





	1. Chapter 1: The Beginning of the descent

If somebody would have told a younger Percy Jackson, that at the age of twenty-three that he would have been a world champion, he wouldn't have believed them. If they had said that he would be the face of an MMA team like Neptune's Combat Sports, he probably would have laughed right in their face. Growing up he had been smaller, poorer, weaker, the misunderstood kid that didn't fit in, but then at one of the schools he had attended, he found a love for mixed martial arts. Training in those disciplines had allowed him to calm his anxious energy, had given an outlet to focus his anger and pain. 

Fighting had saved him, had crafted him into the person that he wanted to be. His success had started slowly of course, but the more he trained, the more obsessed with fighting he became. Percy was sure that the brightest moment of his life was the day he was recruited by an MMA team and discovered that he could make a career out of being an MMA fighter. He had fought his way to the top, cutting through just about everybody until he got himself a title bout. 

The date that he beat Charlie Beckendorf for the Pantheon Light Heavyweight Title had been his best career highlight. He had held that title for over a year and a half, willing to fight just about anybody. Percy wasn't sure how to explain it but when he was in the cage, something in his mind just shut off, and it felt like home. Fighting and competing was on the same level of breathing, it just felt natural. 

However, the thing with Percy's success was that it had started going to his head. He had lost the softer parts of himself, burying the more fragile pieces under layers of trash talk and a facade of indifference. The fans had called dubbed him 'Riptide' for the way that he fought in the cage, but he was starting to feel caught in a riptide of his own making. He had started to get a reputation for partying and getting blackout drunk, every other weekend it seemed, he was in the tabloids for leaving a club with a different female celebrity or model. 

Percy couldn't bring himself to care though; the money, the women, the parties, the adoration of the fans had become his drug of choice. It didn't give him the same high as fighting, but it didn't matter. He had started to believe that his talents meant that he was untouchable. Even going so far as to boast that his competition could get his title from him when he retired because that was going to be the only way it ever got taken from him. It didn't matter who they put in front of him, he was going to dismantle them in the octagon and hand them a loss. Nothing was going to bring him down.

\---

Sunlight streamed through the penthouse window of the Bellagio in Las Vegas, right into the bloodshot eyes of a tired and hungover Percy Jackson. If the number of naked and scantily clad women in his bed was anything to by then he had clearly had an eventful evening. A smug smile crossed his features as his sea-green eyes landed on his championship. It never ceased to amaze him that he had actually become the Light Heavyweight Champion of Pantheon MMA. In fact, Percy was the youngest champion in the history of the company. 

He still remembered how it felt to beat Charlie Beckendorf, the wave of emotion that had crashed over him. Percy could still see how stoked the crowd had been when he closed his eyes. It was one of his favorite memories. Life had never been better for the champion, he had the title, the girls, he felt on top of the world. 

At least until his manager and best friend Grover Underwood came rushing into the hotel. As usual, Grover wore a worried expression on his face, looking even more alarmed as he noticed that Percy was still in bed. 

“You are going to be late, get up!” Grover growled, moving to the bed to try and get Percy moving. 

Percy raised a single eyebrow and winced at the loud tone Grover was speaking in. “What am I late for exactly? Also, keep it down, I have a headache.” 

“We have that fight weight in. You can’t tell me you forgot, it’s the whole reason we’re in Las Vegas Percy!” Grover admonished, trying to avert his gaze as he shooed Percy’s conquest after of the room. “You have a fight tomorrow, you have to be ready. You shouldn't be drinking before a fight.” 

“I didn’t forget,” Percy muttered rolling his eyes, not at all worried like Grover was. “The outcome is going to be the same as always Grover, no matter how hungover I am. I’ll get in the cage, kick some chump’s face in and then walk out still holding my title. You worry too much.” 

Grover looked like he was about to pop a blood vessel. “Clearly you don’t worry enough! Luke Castellan isn’t just some chump Percy. He’s an experienced fighter, he’s good enough to take that belt from you if you aren’t careful.” Grover warned, already exasperated with Percy for not taking anything seriously. 

His best friend’s comments did finally stir Percy from the bed. The champion stood to his feet, dropping the sheet from around his body and stretched out. “Luke is going down just like everybody else. If he is as good as you say, he would be champion.” Percy reasoned, running his hand through his dark hair, making it more ruffled. 

A look of disgust flickered through Grover’s features as he averted his gaze away from Percy’s lack of modesty. “Shower and put some clothes on, we don’t have time for this. We were meant to be at that weight in already.” Grover snapped. 

He had been Percy’s best friend for almost a decade and a half, but that didn’t mean he appreciated the changes in Percy’s character. Grover had watched his friend skyrocket to success but had also noticed how fame changed Percy. 

“Did you seriously have to sleep with all these girls? That’s disgusting. man. You’re going to catch an STD.” Grover added, scowling to himself when Percy just flipped him off on the way to take a shower. “There are some messes that I can’t clean up Percy, you need to be careful.” 

“You’re not my mom.” Percy reminded, irritated that Grover was still lecturing him. If there was anything Percy hated, it was being talked down too. “I don’t pay you the big bucks to nag me if I wanted to be nagged I would call my mom.” 

“Honestly your mom would probably appreciate the phone call.” Grover shot back, his eyes narrowing. “Just shut up and take your shower Jackson, I’ll see what I can do to stall the weight in.” 

\----

"Do you have anything to say to that Mr. Jackson?" 

Percy snapped out of his daze and slowly pushed his sunglasses to the top of his head. "I am sorry, what were you saying?" Percy asked, sounding every inch the bored champion that he was. The weigh-in and subsequent press conference had already been going on for an hour, and it didn't seem to be stopping any time soon. Percy's head had started to throb from the droning of the moderator's voice. 

The moderator looked flummoxed and messed with their cue cards. "I was saying that Mr. Castellan's quotes about having you beat by the second round are quite cocky, do you have anything to say to that?"

Percy let out a heavy sigh, slowly shifting his attention to the opposite table where his opponent sat. Luke Castellan was a couple of years older than Percy, with at least a couple more professional fights under his belt. He was a dedicated fighter, known for his speed rather than power. In all the tapes that he had studied of Luke's fighting style, he had focused on the fact that Luke had a lot of speed, a longer reach and a lot of stamina. 

"I think pretty boy Floyd over there thinks he's some real cream of the crop, but he's garbage. He might be faster than me, but it doesn't matter when the riptide catches you. He can be as fast as he wants, but I'll make sure he drowns." Percy said, shooting a smirk at Luke. Just to antagonize him further, Percy blew a kiss at Luke's girlfriend Thalia Grace of the fame Grace fighting family. 

Luke's eyes darkened just slightly. "When I am through with you Jackson, they're going to have to stretcher you out. That's a promise." He snarled. 

"Oh please, your girlfriend is scarier than you are. I bet she's a lot more fun too. Do you let her dominate you like I'm about to in the cage?" Percy asked cheekily, enjoying the fact that he was getting into Luke's head. Mind games were a bit part of the Mixed Martial Arts scene, and if Percy could get Luke to second guess himself, then the battle was already half won. 

Luke's face turned an ugly shade of purple, his anger boiling up. "I am not just going to take your title Jackson, I'll take your career." Luke challenged, slamming his fist down on the table. 

Percy calmly stood to his feet. "I'd threaten to take your career, but you hardly have one. See you tomorrow Castellan" Percy slid his sunglasses back over his eyes and snatched his title, holding it above his head as he exited the stage. He knew the press conference wasn't supposed to be over yet, but he didn't care. Percy was already bored with having to be on the stage, he preferred to do most of his talking in the cage anyways. 

Tomorrow, he was going to kick Luke's teeth down his throat.

Grover caught up with him, having to almost jog to keep up with Percy's longer strides. "What the heck was that Percy?" 

Percy shrugged his shoulders. "I was just taking care of business." 

"You've got to be kidding me, you showed up late and now leave early? Do you want to get slapped with a fine?" Grover asked, getting irritated with how reckless Percy was being. Grover had done his best to let things slide and put out the tiny fires that Percy was starting, but he had an inkling that if Percy didn't get a reality check soon, things were going to get much worse.

"What did I tell you about worrying, Grover? Just chill out, I've got it all under control." Percy reminded, lightly slapping Grover on the back. "Just relax why don't you and let me handle things."

"I hope for both of our sakes you know what you're doing. You're burning a lot of bridges." Grover warned, before growing silent. He already knew his words were falling on deaf ears.  
\------

Percy realized about a minute into the first round of his actual fight with Luke that he had perhaps antagonized his opponent too much. Luke usually fought southpaw and while the older fighter was still fast, the way he was moving in the cage, it was as if he had wings on his feet. Percy was arrogant though and despite the obvious change in Luke's game plan, he didn't plan to let him win. There was no way, Percy was going to let his title slip from his fingers. 

So in an attempt to adapt his own game plan, Percy switched his stance. He got Luke in a clinch and began to use his brute strength to force the taller fighter back against the cage. Then Percy began to relentlessly rain punch and knees into Luke's sides and chest. Any patch of flesh that wasn't being protected he was attempting to punch. 

Luke covered up as best as he could, taking Percy's assault. Until at the last second he struck, landing a haymaker that almost knocked Percy flat on his backside. Luke moved in to finish the job but then the bell rang, signaling the end of the first round. 

"Let's see if your glass jaw holds up next round Jackson." Luke taunted, walking past him to the corner. 

Percy staggered to his corner, ignoring the look that Grover was giving him. He didn't need a lecture from his best friend. Percy's bread and butter had always been his ability to hit harder and take more damage, he had never quit attitude. He was better with swift punches and kicks. Yet as he stared across the octagon all he wanted to do was kick Luke's teeth down his throat. 

"Percy you need to keep your guard up. Luke is just trying to mess with you, capitalize on his mistakes." Grover warned as he checked Percy over. He could see the fire in Percy's eyes still burning stubbornly, but there was a hint of something else: Fear. 

As the second round began, Percy stayed back out of Luke's longer reach. He ducked a few of Luke's punches and pegged the fighter with hard punches of his own. It took a little bit but Percy was starting to find his momentum. He landed a few swift kicks to Luke's outer thigh, effectively slowing him down. 

"Do you think after I kick your face in, your girlfriend will come home with me?" Percy questioned, breathing hard as he once again backed Luke towards the corner. He was trying to hook his leg around Luke's to take him down when the other fighter kicked him square in the side of the knee. 

There was almost an immediate sharp jolt of pain and Percy stumbled back. His left knee and quadriceps were screaming in protest but Percy managed to keep his footing. 

"You talk too much," Luke growled, a wicked smile crossing his features as he saw the way that Percy was gingerly trying to protect his knee. "Throw in the towel before I cripple you." 

Percy shook his head and raised his gloves. "Never!"

Luke smirked, beckoning for Percy to come at him. Percy staggered forward, lashing out with a kick aimed for the head, but Luke was ready and dropped his weight grabbing Percy's leg and got him in a knee-bar. 

Pain exploded in Percy's knee as Luke took him to the mat and began to torque back. Vaguely he could hear Luke yelling at him to tap and give up. He could even hear Grover screaming at him to stop the match and tap out, that it wouldn't be worth it. 

It didn’t matter to Percy, he was too stubborn to stop. He began to try and crawl to the side of the cage, scratching for every inch. Luke had the knee-bar cinched in deep, every second that passed felt like agony. Percy gritted his teeth, trying to reach out for the cage’s wall. 

Percy almost passed out when he hard the disgusting popping noise as his knee dislocated. He couldn’t take it anymore and slowly tapped out to Luke’s hold. It felt like the world had stopped moving and there was a roaring in his ears. The few seconds that it took for Luke to let go of his knee felt like torture.

Tears began to roll down his cheeks as Percy drew his knee to his chest. He didn’t know what it was, but he could feel that something was very wrong with his left knee and quad. It was already beginning to swell up. 

Grover was at his side as soon as the cage was open. Percy couldn’t focus on anything that his friend was saying, though he could see Grover’s lips moving. Just over Grover’s shoulder, Luke was being embraced by his girlfriend Thalia, and being handed Percy’s title. 

“Come on Percy, we have to get you up,” Grover said, trying to haul Percy’s larger frame up and carry him out of the cage. 

“Stop, I can’t.” Percy pleaded, fresh tears falling. He had taken a beating before, but the way his knee looked, Percy knew it wouldn’t be able to support his weight. "My knee isn't going to be able to support me. Something's wrong Grover."

Somebody from Luke’s team had wandered over to Percy. Piercing blue eyes met his and Percy felt himself being hoisted up and thrown over the guy’s shoulder. The man didn’t say which the defeated fighter was thankful for, but that didn’t ease Percy’s pain. 

“Who are you? Where are you taking Percy?” Grover questioned, following after the blonde man with the dark blue eyes. 

“The name’s Jason. Your friend needs to go to the trainer, his knee doesn’t look good.” Jason muttered, shaking his head. “His night is over and if he stays in the cage Luke is only going to mock him. He’s suffered enough.” 

Something clicked inside of Percy’s mind. “You’re Jason Grace, Thalia’s brother and Luke’s brother in law. You fight for the same team Luke does.” 

Jason grunted and set Percy down none-to-gently on the examination table in the trainer’s room. “Yeah, Thalia is my half-sister. I should honestly deck your lights out for talking about her, but like I said you’ve suffered enough Jackson.”

Percy cursed under his breath as he caught sight of his knee. It was starting to turn an ugly shade of blue and black. “Why did you help me?”

A weird look flashed across Jason’s face. “I didn’t help you. I just think you’ve already lost enough tonight, and when you find out how badly you’re hurt, I don’t think you want pictures of it splashed across the tabloid. I gotta get back out there, good luck Jackson. I hope you recover quickly.” Jason called, before leaving Percy and Grover all alone with the medical team. 

If Percy didn’t know it then, he was soon going to find out that it would be a long time before he was ever going to step foot in the octagon again. He had torn his quad clear off the bone and had dislocated his knee.


	2. Chapter 2: The fall and the sign at the end of the tunnel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy spirals after his loss to Luke and ends up losing everything. Can an unexpected ally help him pick up the pieces?

_-Five months after the Jackson v Castellan fight -_

Percy hated doctors, had always hated the way they poked and prodded at him. He loathed the way they judged him and his life choices, what did they know anyway? Being a professional fighter, he had seen his fair share of the doctors, but that didn’t make him enjoy seeing the eggheads anymore than he had too. He felt like they intentionally spoke above him, using words to try and con him out of his hard-earned money. Percy also hated the sterile smell of hospitals, it made his skin itchy.

It had been five long months after his fight with Luke and Percy wasn’t feeling much like himself anymore. His hair had grown shaggy and his left leg felt more like a noodle than anything else. He had started rehabbing but apparently tearing your quad, and dislocating your knee in such a bad way took more time to heal than Percy had anticipated. 

Five torturous months of seeing Luke Castellan parading around with his belt. Percy was irritated and angry, not only at Luke but himself. He felt isolated, now that he wasn’t a champion. Most of his friends had abandoned him, except Grover of course. Even his best friend was getting agitated with him though, Percy could tell and it made him even more upset. A deep resentment had settled inside of Percy and his downward spiral was only getting worse. 

The money he had accrued from his winning fights, he used to fund his alcohol binges. He felt like if he was drinking then everything else was numb and he didn’t have to deal with the emptiness he felt inside. He had even started to experiment with weed and other drugs, desperate to fill the void. 

If he had thought losing his title was bad, when the doctors had told him it would be over a year before he could probably even get close to fighting shape, it was almost enough to break his spirits. There was a large piece of Percy that wasn’t certain of who he was without fighting. Not only had fighting been his bread and butter, but it was also the one thing that gave him clarity, that gave him purpose. 

The longer he went without being able to train, the more aggravated he got. In the months since his injury, he had started pushing the people who hadn’t abandoned him away. He kept taking small swipes at Grover, knowing his best friend was the one who could talk some sense into him. Percy didn’t want to hear Grover’s advice, he wanted to throw himself a pity party and not be judged for it. Half the mean crap he said, he didn’t even realize he was saying until it was out of his mouth. 

It all came to a head when Percy’s half-brother Tyson came to visit. Tyson was about seven younger than Percy, barely eighteen, but he idolized the fighter and wanted to be just like him. Tyson couldn’t be a fighter though, because he had a degenerative eye disease, that was causing him to slowly lose his sight. He had to wear special glasses and take medication to keep his headache at bay, and usually required a certain amount of supervision. Percy, of course, wasn’t really feeling in the mood to babysit, so he had allowed Tyson to have free roam of his hotel penthouse he was renting. 

Percy had decided to drink a crapton of alcohol and was passed out in his bed when Grover busted the door down. Percy was awoken to Grover shaking him roughly. 

“What the heck are you doing?” Percy asked, shoving Grover off of him. “What’s your problem man?” 

There was a look in Grover’s eyes that Percy had never seen before and it haunted him. “Your brother just got hit by a car, why haven’t you been answering your phone? He needs you Percy and you're just laying here passed out?!” Grover snapped, he was almost hysterical. 

Percy blinked, not comprehending Grover’s words. “What are you talking about? Tyson was in the living room. He’s not stupid enough to leave the apartment by himself, he knows better.”

Grover glared at him. “He got hit an hour ago, Percy? You didn’t notice he was gone?” Grover seemed to notice the empty bottles around Percy’s bed “You were drinking with Tyson in the house, you’re supposed to watch him!”

Percy didn’t like the tone that Grover was taking with him. “So what if I was, Tyson is a big boy. It’s not the first time I drank around him.” 

“It’ll probably be the last. You’re so selfish.” Grover muttered, shoving Percy hard. He could no longer recognize the man that his friend had become. If Percy as champion had been hell, seeing him a broken mess was somehow even worse. “You used to love Tyson and care about people.” 

“What would you know about my family? All yours is dead.” Percy spat and then winced. He hadn’t meant to throw Grover’s past in his face. Grover’s whole family had been killed when Grover was fifteen. Percy’s mom had taken guardianship of Grover and allowed him to move in with them. “Wait, Grove...I didn’t mean that.” 

Grover stood to his feet. “I don’t know who you are anymore Percy, but you’re not the man I thought you were. I don’t want to be your friend anymore, you’re on your own.” Grove said, his words clipped and icy. He was done trying to clean up Percy’s messes only to be treated like he was less than. 

Percy tried to get up, but his knee was stiff and his leg buckled in protest. “Grove please, I am sorry,” Percy called trying to limp after him. 

“You can take your apology and shove it, man. I’m done giving you chances and making apologies for you. If you have any shred of dignity left, you’ll go visit your brother in the hospital. Your mother is with him.” Grover replied, before turning his back on Percy and walking out, slamming the door behind him. 

\----

It took Percy some time to nail down what hospital his brother was in, Percy was still feeling a bit hammered so he grabbed a coffee on the way. He couldn’t drive because of his knee, so he had called an Uber. It was on the way to the hospital that he received a call from his team manager. 

“Hey Dion, what’s up?” Percy asked, blowing on his cup of hot coffee trying to cool it down. 

“Sorry to call you out of the blue like this Riptide. I just want you to know I advocated for you, but the head honcho has decided to let you go. I’m sorry Percy but we’re voiding your contract. You are off the team.” Dion said although he didn’t actually sound all that sorry. It probably had to do with Percy hitting his car and totaling it during a Christmas party. 

Percy felt like he was going to vomit. “Excuse me? You can’t just drop me from the team, I have a contract. I’ll sue you!”

Dion laughed and Percy could tell that the man was amused. “Honestly, we would counter sue you and win. I happen to know for a fact that if we drug tested you, you would fail. So take the loss Jackson and move on. Neptune’s Combat Sports no longer has a spot for you on the team, we wish you the best in all your future endeavors.” 

“Don’t do this to me man.” Percy pleaded, tears of frustration pricking at his eyes. “I don’t have anything else except for this team. I need this, please Dion.” 

“Hmm, I remember asking you to help me out once and you didn’t. You see Percy you might need this team, but we don’t need you. You are a hot topic for all the wrong reasons. You’re bad for business Percy and we don’t want you. Good luck.” Dion said before hanging up on Percy.

Percy growled and flung his phone down, punching the passenger seat in front of him repeatedly. He wasn’t sure how this day could get much worse and his knee was now throbbing from exertion. He mumbled a few choice curses under his breath, his temper flaring by the time that his uber arrived at the hospital. He was going to make his old team eat their words for releasing him while he was injured. 

If he had thought that his mother would be happy to see him when he got to the hospital, Percy was mistaken. Aside from Grover and Tyson, Percy’s mom had always been one of his biggest fans. Sally Jackson was a tough woman, who’s kindness was only rivaled by her ability to hold a grudge. 

“How is Tyson?” Percy asked, his gaze searching. 

“Do you want to tell me how Tyson had alcohol in his system Percy?” Sally asked, her gaze searching. “I thought you were keeping an eye on him.” 

“I am sorry mom. I must have fallen asleep, I didn’t give him any of my booze.” Percy protested, feeling like she was accusing him of something. “You have to believe me.” 

Sally lowered her gaze to the floor. “Tyson looks up to you Percy. He wants to be just like you, but the way you’ve been acting lately is reckless. It’s one thing if you screw up your own life, but Tyson is fragile. He depends on us to make good decisions.” 

Percy had to lean against the wall to keep his balance, his knee was screaming in protest. “Mom I just made one mistake…” 

“It hasn’t just been one mistake, Percy. I’ve made excuse after excuse for you, but I’m done. I think it’s best if you stay away from Tyson for a while. I don’t trust you.” Sally said unable to look him in the eyes. 

Percy felt like he had been sucker-punched in the chest. “So that’s just it, you’re giving up on me? Just like everybody else?” He questioned incredulously

Sally Jackson squared her shoulders and finally met Percy’s gaze. “I am your mother and I will never give up on you. But I refuse to let my love for you blind me. You’re putting other people I care about in danger. I will always love you, but until you get yourself straightened out, I don’t want you around Tyson or the house.” 

“Fine.” Percy turned away from her and began to limp out of the hospital. If they thought he had been spiraling before, he was going to show them what it meant to go out in a blaze of glory. He was going to show all of them.

\-----  
 _  
\- Seven Months Later-  
\- In San Francisco - _

Annabeth Chase wasn’t sure what would crumble first, the walls to the gym she was working in, or her motivation to try and save the place. The boxing gym had been named after her mentor and father figure Chiron. In the 80s and 90s, it had been a place where great fighters came to train with the legendary Chiron Brunner. But now the gym had fallen into disrepair, it’s equipment was no longer state of the art and it was in serious need of a paint job. The apartment on the second floor was now mainly used as storage, and Annabeth wasn’t even sure the last time she had seen a decent and steady paycheck. 

Truthfully anything Chiron paid her went into paying the bills on the place. Annabeth’s trust fund from her parents' estate had taken most of the strain, but she wasn’t sure it was practical to keep the place running. She didn’t want to sell it, and she knew Chiron would rather die than sell, but it was getting to the point that they needed to start thinking with their wallets and not their hearts. 

She checked her watch and sighed, it was after eight pm, which meant it was time to lock up. She walked down the stairs and wasn't surprised to find Chiron watching sports center on the couch by the front entrance. 

"Anything good on?" Annabeth asked, not paying much attention to the TV as she set about locking the doors. They were on the outskirts of San Francisco and she knew it was better to be safe than sorry. 

"Did you know it's the one year anniversary of the Jackson vs Castellan fight?" Chiron had developed a love for mixed martial arts after his boxing career had ended. He had never taken up the sports, but plenty of MMA guys had passed through his gym during its glory days. 

Annabeth chanced a glance at the screen and rolled her eyes. "I don't get what the big deal is with those two idiots. They're both stuck up dickhead, who only care about themselves." 

"That's rather judgmental of you Annabeth, I'm surprised." Chiron chided, shaking his head in disapproval. 

“You’ve heard what Jackson did, according to multiple sources he almost got his brother killed. His team let him go for a reason.” Annabeth pointed out defensively. She had seen a lot of fighters rise to the top only to be humbled when they fell from the mountain. “He’s a horrible excuse for a role model and athlete.” 

Chiron studied her for a minute and then glanced at the tv screen. “Perhaps he just needs some guidance.” He remarked thoughtfully.

Annabeth’s eyes widened. “Oh no! No way, Chiron. We are not taking on another charity case. We’re barely keeping the doors open as it is. A heat-seeking missile like Percy Jackson would only bring us down.” Annabeth argued. 

She had seen that look in his eyes before, Chiron had a reputation for adopting strays. Whether it be people or animals, Chiron was always willing to give multiple chances. It didn’t matter how many times the old man was taken advantage of, he never gave up. 

“Percy Jackson is a man without a home. I see his potential though, he could bring redemption not only to himself but this gym. Imagine if we were the ones to sponsor him?” Chiron’s mind was already going a million miles a minute. He was always the man who ran towards danger and Annabeth was growing frustrated. 

“What makes you even think he could make a comeback? Chiron please be reasonable, he’s an alcoholic at the bottom of his bottle. Rumor has it that Percy Jackson will never fight again.” Annabeth pointed out, trying to get him to see reason. 

Chiron’s eyes darkened just slightly. “There is an old proverb that says ‘you should deal with other’s faults as gently as you deal with your own.” Chiron chided. 

If there was one thing Annabeth hated it was being rebuked. “Calm down uncle Iroh.” She muttered, rolling her eyes. “If you want to go all old proverb on me, what about what Ralph Waldo Emerson said? ‘Common sense is genius dressed in its working clothes.’ Jackson doesn’t strike me as the genius type, and I doubt his ability to work hard.” 

“Enough Annabeth. You don’t know him and you should give him a chance. Sometimes all people need is a hand up not a handout. We can invite Jackson here to the gym, have him teach a couple of classes and workshops. It brings people into the gym and allows him to work on rehabbing his reputation. A former champion training at our gym could bring in lots of customers. Besides if he lives here, we can keep an eye on him. We can make sure he stays out of trouble,” Chiron said, trying to point out to her where his brain was at. 

“This isn’t the feel-good story you think it’s going to be, Chiron. Jackson is going to let you down, and when he does I don’t want you crying to me about it.” Annabeth snapped. She wasn’t sure why Chiron thought they could afford a gamble like this, but out of respect for her mentor, she would send Percy an email. She doubted he’d answer it, but the faster this was dealt with the better. 

\----  
 _-In New York-_

Percy Jackson shuddered as he limped his way out of the recreation center he had been in. He was wearing a heavy-duty snow jacket, but it was still cold which made his knee injury flare up and hurt worse. He knew it was important to keep going to his AA meetings despite the weather and pain. A copper chip hung from the leather cord around his neck. 

7 months of sobriety. 

He had finally earned his 7-month sobriety chip. 

He hadn’t talked to Grover or the rest of his family in over seven months. He had intended to get wasted and end his life the night he had left the hospital. Percy hadn’t felt much like living but on his way to a highway overpass, he had seen a sign. 

A literal sign, staked in the front of a church. 

‘You have a purpose, come inside to find out about it’

Percy wasn’t particularly religious, he knew his mom was a catholic or something, but he had never had much faith. Still, he had planned on killing himself so he thought he might make things right with whatever higher power there was before he took the plunge. 

Except there wasn’t a church service going on, instead it was an alcoholic anonymous meeting. Something had changed that night and slowly Percy had started attending more meetings. At first, it was just because he had nothing better to do, he felt like he had lost everything. Then he started attending because he actually enjoyed it and it helped him feel better. There were people who were struggling with the crippling loneliness and issues he was. 

He was still working the 12-steps, but he had to admit that being sober felt good. For the first time in a long time, he felt like his mind was clearer. He still missed fighting, of course, it felt almost like a phantom limb, but he did his best not to get into contact with any of the people from his past. Percy had done a good job blowing up his life and he felt like they were better off without him anyway. 

He was making his way down to his apartment when something caught his eye in one of the shop windows. They were running replays of his fight against Luke from a year prior. A lot of people were questioning what Percy Jackson was up too and why he had fallen off the map. 

Percy felt his phone ding with a notification. He pulled it from his pocket and opened the notification, raising a brow as he read the message. 

**  
‘Dear Mr. Jackson,**

**Look I am going to cut right to the point. My boss thinks that you have what it takes to make a comeback. Despite me telling him that it’s a horrible idea, he would like you to fly out to San Francisco and give our gym a trial run. He has delusions about possibly sponsoring you. Chiron Brunner never gives up on people and he sees the best in them. He sees something in you, Mr. Jackson, although I can’t be sure what it is.**

**If you’re interested in hearing his offer, please respond and I will book you a ticket**

**\- Annabeth Chase’**

Percy had to read the message a couple of times to make sense of it. The sender clearly had an issue with him, he could read the venom in the tone. Yet, she had still sent the message. Percy had half a mind to delete the message and pretend he never saw it in the first place. 

Even as his finger hesitated over the delete option, he hesitated. Like the night when he had found his first AA meeting, maybe this was a sign? He wanted to fight again, and none of the other companies were willing to work with him. A second chance sounded good to him, it would be a chance to get to the top of the mountain the right way. 

Percy also knew who Chiron Brunner was, his mother had always talked about the swagger the man possessed. Percy had actually witnessed a charity fight that Chiron had, the year after an incident had ended Chiron’s boxing career and forced him into retirement. It meant a lot to him that Chiron knew who he was and saw potential in him, it had been months since Percy felt like anybody believed in him. 

Perhaps it was that or maybe wanting to meet the snooty woman who had emailed him, but Percy had made a decision. Nothing was keeping him in New York and undoubtedly there would be AA meetings in San Francisco. It was a big gamble, but he felt like the risk was worth it. It was time to get his career back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are enjoying this story please leave a kudo or a comment. Also be sure to subscribe, trust me any comments and kudos are valued and treasured. Who is excited for Percy and Annabeth to meet?


	3. Chapter 3: First impressions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy makes it to San Francisco and meets with Chiron and Annabeth. Annabeth has to make a deal with an unlikely source and she isn't happy about it.

Percy Jackson wasn’t sure what he was expecting when he got to San Francisco. It was definitely a tourist trap and smelled distinctly of human feces. Also, the windchill sweeping across the bay wasn’t particularly fun. The Bay Area town had more hills than he had anticipated and he was kicking himself for not doing his research before he came to the city. 

He picked his way through the bustling streets of San Francisco’s downtown, tightening his jacket around him as a form of protection. He made his way to the address he had been given by Annabeth. Her cold response to his email only further solidified his opinion that she hated him. Percy wasn’t sure what he had done to earn such a nasty and bitter reaction from the stranger, but he had learned in the past year that a lot of people didn’t like him for some reason or another. 

There was no point in worrying about their opinions of him, he couldn’t control that. The AA meetings had put a significant emphasis on focusing on his own reactions and the things he could control. 

When Percy finally reached the almost outer reaches of the city, he realized he had misjudged just how far Chiron’s gym was from his hotel. His knee was aching from the long walk he had engaged in and all he wanted to do was take a seat and get off his knee. Percy wanted to make a good first impression but was noticeably limping by the time he made it through the door to the gym. 

Taking a moment, Percy drank in the sight of the gym’s interior. In faded gold and red paint were the words ‘Olympus Gym and Training Facility’. Dusty old boxing posters and photos littered half the gym’s walls. In one of the corners of the gym was a large mural of Chiron in his glory days and a quote about hard work. Just below the mural was a decent sized trophy case, filled with the different accolades that Chiron had won. 

“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” 

Percy spun around as a voice rang out from behind him. It took Percy a second to locate the person and his eyes widened when he saw Chiron standing at the top of the stairs. Chiron was studying him in a way that made Percy shift uncomfortably. 

“I know you are talented Mr. Jackson, but are you willing to work hard?” 

“Yes, Sir,” Percy said, squaring his shoulders. “I appreciate you taking the chance on me.” 

Chiron chuckled and slowly made his way down the stairs, holding tightly to the railing so he wouldn’t fall. “You remind me of somebody Percy, a boxer who had the world at his feet, who was willing to step on anybody to get where he wanted to go. You don’t want to be that person anymore Percy, because at the end of the day you end up with nothing but memories and an old broken-down gym.” 

Percy glanced around at the worn-out equipment. Some of the weights were rusted and at least a decade old. The gym had definitely seen better times, but Percy wasn’t going to be mean about it. 

“Let me ask you something Mr. Jackson, do you want to fight again?” Chiron asked, now that he was on the same level as Percy, they were about the same height. 

“Of course I do, but my knee isn’t where it used to be. I am not the fighter I once was.” Percy admitted. He didn’t want to mislead Chiron or have the old man put faith into something that might not even be possible. 

“No, you aren’t the fighter you used to be. Honestly, you were kind of a dick, but I still see potential in you Percy. Beyond what you were before, you could be greater.” Chiron said, before gesturing to the gym. “We both could use a win and a second chance. I believe in you Percy.” 

Percy wasn’t so sure he was deserving of Chiron’s faith in him. He wasn’t sure that the man even knew what he was getting himself into. He was saved from having to respond as the door to the gym opened. 

A stunning blonde with stormy grey eyes walked in, followed by a pale skinny dude who looked like he had just escaped from a Hot Topic store or a metal concert. The blonde glanced at Percy and raised a brow, before shifting her attention to Chiron. 

“What did I tell you about leaving the door unlocked when you’re by yourself Chiron. You’re going to let in riffraff.”

Chiron’s eyes darkened just slightly and he shot Annabeth a warning look. “Mr. Jackson, please meet the manager of my gym, Ms. Annabeth Chase. The young man attacked at her hip is Nico di Angelo, he is her sidekick.” 

Nico extended a hand to Percy. “Chiron says sidekick, I say assistant.” 

Percy wasn’t sure why Annabeth’s dig about being riffraff bothered him, but he did his best to keep his expression neutral. “Pleasure to meet you, Nico, You as well Ms. Chase.”

Annabeth just ignored him and focused on Chiron. “Nico and I have some business to attend too. Nico says he might know of a Silicon Valley hotshot who would want to invest in the gym. It’ll at least keep the vultures off our back for another month or two.” 

“Vultures?” Percy asked, looking confused. 

“People are always trying to buy Chiron’s gym. Half of them want to turn it into a museum, the other half want to tear it down. Chiron’s stubborn and won’t sell to anybody.” Nico explained, filling Percy in on the subject. 

“The thing is, we do need investors to keep this place running. It’s not sustainable to keep operating the way we have been. Chiron expects you to help us save the gym because apparently, people love an alcoholic train wreck.” Annabeth said, staring a hole through Percy. 

Percy bristled and folded his arms over his chest. “I am a lot of things, but I am not a train wreck.” Percy snapped. 

Chiron could sense the two were about to start ripping into each other and he didn’t want that. “Annabeth please, go handle your business and stop insulting Percy. You said you have work to do, why don’t you go do it.” Chiron reprimanded, scolding the blonde. He wasn’t going to put up with her being catty towards Percy when the fighter hadn't done anything to warrant it.

"Come on Annabeth," Nico said grabbing her by the wrist and dragging her up the stairs. Annabeth was scowling but allowed herself to be dragged away from the fight that was brewing. 

"I am sorry about her, try not to let Annabeth get to you. She's under a lot of pressure." Chiron admitted, gesturing for Percy to follow him. Chiron began to make his way over to the mural and trophy case. "I love Annabeth like a daughter and I know she feels the same way. She worries about me and my legacy." Chiron pointed to one of the pictures, it was of him holding in front of the gym with a young Annabeth.

"Why did you really bring me here?" Percy asked, desperate to know. He didn't want to just be some sideshow, that people came to the gym to gawk at. 

"Mr. Jackson I told you I saw potential in you and I meant it. This gym is on its last legs, we don't have a lot of excess money. But if you teach a couple of classes it might bring in more people. We would be using your notoriety, yes, but in exchange, you would get to live here rent-free. You could have the upstairs apartment and you could have unlimited access to the gym and all its equipment." Chiron said, trying to lay his plan out for Percy. 

Percy tilted his head to the side. "You are going to train me and get me back into fighting shape? Are you sure you're even up for that?"

Chiron quickly shook his head. "Oh no. My fighting days are long past Mr. Jackson. I could teach you boxing workouts, but I fear I couldn't teach you everything else that you need to be successful. We would eventually need to hire you an actual trainer, a physical therapist to help you rehab your knee correctly, and so many more people." 

"Sounds like a lot of work and a lot of money." Percy pointed out, wondering how a gym that was barely surviving was going to be able to afford all of this. 

"Ever hear of the saying 'Build it and they will come'?" Chiron looked Percy square in the eyes and squeezed his shoulder. "Look it isn't going to be a walk in the park, I won't lie to you. But if we start small we can take the baby steps to build something great. This could be a second chance for both of us."

Percy took a look around the gym, trying to imagine what it would look like with a fresh coat of paint and if it was actually filled with people. "Alright, I am in. I'm willing to try." 

Chiron grinned, his whole face lighting up. "I was hoping you'd say that. I've got plans for us, you better buckle up and hold on to your seat." Chiron said, sounding more like a carnival showman than a gym owner. 

\-----

“So that was Percy Jackson?” Nico gave a thoughtful hum as he settled into one of the more comfortable chairs in Annabeth’s office. He had been the one to insist to her that if she was going to have meetings in her office, the room needed to have comfortable chairs. Nico had been trying to sell her on getting a recliner for the officer, but she hadn’t bought into that one yet. He was still holding out for it. 

Annabeth rolled her eyes as she fired up her laptop. “Yeah, I expected him to be taller somehow,” Annabeth muttered dismissively.

Despite her coldness towards him, Annabeth wasn’t blind. She could see why countless people had thrown themselves at the former champion’s feet. He was attractive with his messy hair and his sea-green eyes. If he wasn’t a fighter she could have mistaken him for a movie star. If anything the fact that she did think he was attractive, only made her want to dislike him more. 

Nico arched a brow, a hint of a knowing smile starting to make its way across his face. “He’s cute though.” 

“We’re not going there.” Annabeth snapped, knowing exactly what Nico was trying to do. He was always trying to set her up with somebody or another. 

Chiron’s gym had a tendency to attract the oddballs and the strays, Nico was no exception. Annabeth was a few years older than him, but she could distinctly remember when he started hanging out around the gym. He wasn’t exactly one for working out, but through the years Nico had become like family to her. He was probably the closest thing Annabeth had to a best friend. He liked to call himself her assistant and he did occasionally help out with the gym’s paperwork, but usually, he just kept her company. Annabeth had realized Nico was a lot like a cat, he would come and go as he pleased. 

Annabeth shuffled some papers on her desk and then fixed Nico with a look. “You said you had a friend that might be able to help us? An investor?” 

Nico winced a little. “I wouldn’t call him a friend per se. He can be a little annoying but the dude is loaded. He’s a real genius when it comes to inventing stuff, I mean he’s our age and he could retire comfortably but he’s still out there making money. You might have heard of him, Leo Valdez.” 

Annabeth’s eyes widened. “How did you meet him?” 

“Don’t ask too many questions, just appreciate that he owes me a favor or two,” Nico said cryptically. He pulled out his phone and scribbled down Leo’s number on a piece of paper before sliding it to Annabeth. 

“Do you think he’s somebody we can trust?” Annabeth was aware of how rich Leo Valdez was, he was a tech genius. Everything he put his hands too, seemed to turn to gold. If he wanted too, he could use his leverage to steal the gym out from under them. However, the opportunity to have a financial heavyweight like him in their corner was too big of an opportunity to pass up. 

Annabeth’s trust fund was keeping the lights on, but it wasn’t going to last forever. Having Valdez’s money would definitely lessen the strain. It would allow them to buy more modern equipment and even give the gym a fresh coat of paint. 

Nico thought about his words, trying to choose them carefully. “I don’t think Valdez is the right to screw us over, let’s just see what he says. He may not even be interested in helping, but I know he’s a big MMA fan.” 

Before she could talk herself out of it, Annabeth dialed Leo’s number and held her breath as she put the call on speakerphone. It rang three times before the call was finally answered. 

“Leo Valdez speaking, what can Leo-man help you with today?” 

The gym manager blinked in surprise at the fact that Valdez apparently answered his own calls and called himself the Leo-man. “Mr. Valdez, my name is Annabeth Chase and I’m with the Olympus Gym in San Francisco. I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time?”

“Olympus gym, you mean that old boxer’s gym?” Leo sounded confused and like he was close to hanging up. “How did you get my number Ms. Chase?” 

“She got it from me,” Nico called, snatching the phone from Annabeth. “Valdez, it’s Nico Di Angelo. You owe me a favor, listen to what my friend has to say and we’ll call the favor good.” 

Leo gave a nervous chuckle. “Why didn’t you open with the fact that you’re a friend of Nico’s? What can I do for you?” 

It was Annabeth’s turn to look confused, but she didn’t question it. Sometimes it was better not to ask about the mysterious things Nico got up too. “Mr. Valdez I’ve been told you are a big fan of MMA and my boss is looking to turn our gym into an MMA gym, but we need the funding. That’s where you would come in.”

“So you’re looking for a handout then?” Leo sounded bored by the conversation. “That doesn’t sound like a wise investment Ms. Chase.”

Annabeth’s temper flared. “What would you know about wise investments, aren’t you the one who gave half a million dollars to a go fund me campaign for their attempt to colonize mars?” She snapped. 

Leo was silent for a moment and then snorted. “Alright, you got me there. Give me two good reasons why I should fund your gym?”

“You should fund this gym because it matters to people.” 

“It doesn’t matter to me. Why should I use my money to help you, I don’t even know you.” Leo pointed out brusquely. 

Annabeth had to take a deep breath to calm herself. “You know who Percy Jackson is right? Riptide, former Pantheon Light Heavyweight champion? He is going to use our gym as a home base as he makes him come back.”

“Wait, you’re telling me that Percy Jackson is going to be operating out of your gym? Okay now we are talking, you have captured my attention.” Leo actually sounded intrigued now. “How are you going to get a disgraced fighter back up on top of the mountain? Last thing I heard he was lost at the bottom of a bottle.” 

“Percy is going to be working and living here at the gym. We’re going to keep him on a tight leash, but Chiron Brunner believes that Percy Jackson will make it back to the top of the mountain. He’s a thoroughbred athlete Mr. Valdez, the kind of star you want to hit your wagon too. I am giving you a golden opportunity to sponsor him and the gym. When Percy starts winning fights, you get a cut of the profit.” 

Leo hummed softly in consideration. “There are a lot of variables in your proposal Ms. Chase. If Percy Jackson can’t compete at the level he used too, this might be a wasted investment. His injury and his addictions are all concerns to me.” He mused, before clicking his tongue. “Alright, I’ll make you a deal Ms. Chase.” 

“What’s the deal?” Annabeth asked cautiously. She still didn’t trust Leo and she wasn’t sure how well this negotiation was going to go. It felt like Leo had far too much of the power. 

Leo let out a laugh. “We shoot a documentary about Percy. We film his attempt to rise from the ashes. If he is successful it’s a feel-good story, if not I’ll sell it a cautionary tale.” 

“I am not sure Mr. Jackson will agree to that, but if that is what it takes to get you on-board consider it done,” Annabeth said, trying to keep her tone neutral. She wasn’t sure if she could count on Percy Jackson to be a team player. 

Nico, who had been quiet for a while, took this opportunity to speak. “If we are going to get Jackson into fighting shape, we’ll need the best equipment and staff. The Gym is in desperate need of a remodel. We could use some capital to hire staff and a team to whip him back into shape. I’m talking about multiple trainers, a physical therapist for his knee, a massage therapist, a nutritionist… you get the gist.” He said, listing off the things they would need to get Percy.

Leo grew silent. “You’re asking a lot of me.” He warned, his tone hinting that they needed to start treading lightly. “I admire your fire and I’ll help you. I’ll make sure you have all the things you need, but I have some demands in return aside from the documentary.” 

Annabeth gritted her teeth, proud of Nico for standing up for them, but also nervous that he had just poked the proverbial bear. “We’re listening…”

“On top of the documentary, I have some requests for Mr. Jackson. I will not allow him to piss away my money, he has to stay clean. If he’s not sober yet, you get him sober. I expect him to be able to pass any surprise drug tests, as far as I am concerned he’s now an employee. If I am footing the bill for all of this equipment he had better put it to good use, I won’t tolerate laziness.” Leo said, letting his words hang in the air before he continued. He was trying to approach this from a business standpoint. “I expect since I am sponsoring him, that he will do some advertising for my inventions. Shirts with my brand’s logos, you know the drill. Finally, I wnt half ownership of the gym.” 

Annabeth’s eyes darkened. “I was with you until that last point, Valdez. I am not letting you get half of the gym. Ten percent.” She offered. 

“Thirty percent of the stakes in the gym.” Leo fired back. He had a reputation for being a shrewd negotiator. “And I want my name on the sign.” 

“Heck no. Twenty-five percent of the stakes and you can have an office here at the gym. Maybe if you play your cards right, I’ll let you have your name on the inside of the gym and I’ll even throw in a key.” Annabeth said sharply, not willing to give any more of the gym. 

Technically she knew she needed to talk to Chiron about the situation, but most likely he would have just pawned off the responsibility to her anyways. Chiron may have owned it, but it was Annabeth who kept it running. 

Leo was silent for about thirty seconds. “Deal. I’ll have my lawyers draft up a contract and send it to you. That reminds me, you’re probably going to want to hire Mr. Jackson a PR person, maybe keep them on retainer for the gym. I look forward to our partnership Ms. Chase.” 

Annabeth sighed and ended the call, unsure if a shower would actually help rid her of the slimy way she felt. “Well, that went well.” 

“I want to see Chiron’s face when you tell him the terms that you just agreed too. I doubt Jackson will take it very well that you just sold his life story to Valdez.” Nico said laughing.

Running a hand through her hair in frustration, Annabeth groaned loudly and shook her head. “You know what, they’re both going to have to suck it up. The conditions aren’t ideal but this might be the only way we get things to work. I just hope Percy is ready to play ball and be a team player. I don't think this gym could withstand a fiasco like he's prone to cause.” 

Annabeth stood and walked over to her door. She could see Chiron still showing Percy around the small gym. The old man looked happy and Annabeth didn’t have the heart to ruin the moment, she would tell him later. For now, she would allow him to enjoy hanging out with his new fighter. She had always admired the way that Chiron trusted so easily, he honestly believed the best of everybody and didn't seem as jaded by life. It was an almost enviable quality, except for the fact that Annabeth was the one trying to keep everything afloat when Chiron made his impulsive decision. She was just hoping that this particular decision wouldn't blow up in everybody's face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all are enjoying this story. Please feel free to leave a comment or a kudo, they are much appreciated.


	4. Chapter 4: I wouldn't do that if I were you seaweed brain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo Valdez shows up to meet with Chiron, Annabeth and Percy, and showhow manags to push all the wrong buttons. Percy goes for a jog and almost makes a hug mistake.

Percy wasn’t sure what he was expecting when he agreed to join Chiron gym, but so far things hadn’t turned out the way he thought they would. But when Chiron had said that if they built it, people would come, he hadn’t been lying. For the first three days after his arrival, Percy had been put to work. He hadn’t had much time to check out the gym equipment because the first task that Chiron had assigned him was clearing out the stuff that was stored in the apartment. 

“You are going to want to live in that apartment and make it a home. You can’t do that if it’s filled with boxes and random crap.” Chiron had told him. 

Truth be told Percy was actually getting a workout in, he had probably gone up and down the stairs fifty times already that day. There were exactly seventeen steps between the first and second floor, not that he was counting or anything. Annabeth had insisted that he bring all the boxes of files to her office, apparently, she wanted to go through them to see if they were worth keeping. 

The blonde had been fairly secretive about the business deal she had made, but Percy could tell that Chiron wasn’t too happy about it. All Percy knew was that they were going to draft up a formal contract with him, which he was happy about. Annabeth’s assistant Nico had decided to help Percy carry some of the boxes, but he kept disappearing for long periods of time, so Percy was doing most of the work. 

“Have you guys ever heard of a filing cabinet?” Percy grunted as he dropped another box outside of Annabeth’s office. He used the hem of his shirt to wipe the sweat out of his eyes and away from his forehead. 

“We had a couple, but they’re full,” Annabeth said, jerking her thumb towards some small filing cabinets in the corner. “They’re expensive too, and it just got easier putting stuff in boxes.” 

Percy raised a brow. “Aren’t you supposed to be super organized though? How do you even find anything?”

Annabeth shrugged. “I guess you could say it’s organized chaos. I know where everything is because I organized it my own way. I’ve been the one doing all the books since I was nineteen.”

“No wonder you don’t have a life,” Percy muttered under his breath. 

If Annabeth heard him, she ignored him. She was too focused on trying to make sure she had the documents she would need for Valdez. She wasn’t sure if she could trust Leo yet, but he had sent her an email telling her that he was coming by to discuss business. She couldn’t fault the man for wanting to see for himself what his money was going into. Annabeth had tried to clean up around the gym, but she couldn’t hide the fact that the building looked more like a run-down warehouse than an actual workout facility. 

It took Annabeth a minute to realize that Percy was talking to her again. She met his gaze and gave an almost apologetic look. “Sorry, I zoned out for a second. What were you saying?” 

Percy sighed and ran a hand through his hair, pushing it out of his eyes. “I was asking you why you weren’t living in the apartment. You’ve been running the books so long, why didn’t you take over the apartment?”

Annabeth hesitated, not really wanting to divulge her backstory to Percy. She didn’t know him that well or even trust him that much. “I stayed in the apartment for a while, but I needed a break from the place. Somewhere I could go and not feel like a prisoner, trapped in a routine.” She answered finally, shrugging her shoulders. 

Thankfully Percy didn’t press her any further on the matter, instead, he went to grab another box. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do with the apartment, it was small but all he really needed was a place to rest his head and shower. 

He continued carrying boxes up and down the stairs, a couple more times until Chiron stopped with him an offer of lunch. Percy’s stomach let out an embarrassing growl and though he wouldn’t admit it, he was definitely in need of a break. 

Chiron thankfully had an old truck and drove Percy towards a small cafe a couple of blocks over. Percy was just grateful he didn’t have to walk all the way to the restaurant, he wasn’t sure his knee was in any condition to do that. When they finally made it inside, Chiron got them a booth and then sat across from Percy, studying him. 

Percy was getting used to being stared at, it was still a little unnerving but he had realized that Chiron was often thinking about the best way to say things. Percy had asked Nico why Chiron kept staring, and Annabeth’s assistant had told him that Chiron tended to get a little lost in his thoughts, overthinking everything. 

“How is your knee feeling?”

Percy thought about it for a minute, he didn’t want to lie to Chiron. “It’s hurting a little bit today. Going up and down the stairs, a hundred times will do that.” He mused, instinctively rubbing at his knee, trying to ease the ache. 

Chiron again went silent as the waitress came to take their order, only answering when the woman spoke directly to him. Ever since Annabeth had told him what the investor had said, Chiron had been lost in his thoughts more than usual.   
“Do you eat here often?” Percy asked, taking the initiative. He wanted to keep the conversation flowing since it would save them from sitting in awkward silence. 

“Oh yeah, probably once or twice a week. They’ve got really good ice cream and pie here.” Chiron asked, a fond smile tugging at his lips. “I appreciate you being a team player and helping us get the gym into better shape. I know it isn’t really what you picture yourself doing, but I promise it will be worth it.” 

Nodding slowly, Percy gave a small nod. He had thought that he would be doing more to prepare for his comeback, but in the three days that he had been there, he had spent his time cleaning. “It’s different from what I expected, but you warned me that we had to build the place up.” 

“Annabeth tells me that this investor of hers can really change things around for us. She wants us to make a good impression, I need to level with you that I am not really good with suits.” Chiron admitted, shaking his head. Annabeth had insisted that Chiron made sure Percy was on his best behavior. “Those business types are always so pushy, you know what I mean?”

Percy snorted softly. “Yeah, I know what you mean. I’ve met a lot of smug lawyers and business owners, but I guess I can’t pass judgment on who is smug or not.” 

“Look, Percy, I don’t know much about this Leo Valdez guy, but we’re going to have to play nice with him. No matter what he says, you and I both are going to need to keep our tempers in check. Can you do that?” Chiron asked, his gaze searching. Annabeth hadn’t shared the full terms of the agreement, but she had warned Chiron that Valdez wanted some ownership of the gym. 

Percy was saved from having to answer when the waitress brought their food to the table. Chiron’s words had raised a little bit of a caution flag in Percy’s mind. He was curious as to what Chiron thought that Valdez would say that would anger Percy.

“I’ll keep my temper in check,” Percy promised, before raising a brow. “Do I need to be worried about this guy though? All I want to do is get back to the top of the mountain, but that might be harder if this guy has a lot of baggage. I seem to have enough of that on my own.” 

Chiron chuckled at that. “You do certainly have a lot of baggage Mr. Jackson, but I think it will be worth it. As for Valdez, just try not to be reactionary and I will do my best to protect you. I have your back Percy, I am just going to need you to trust me.” 

Percy was now feeling even warier but managed a weak smile. He didn’t really trust anybody, but he figured he could at least try for Chiron’s sake since the gym owner was taking a chance on him. “I trust you,” Percy said slowly. 

Chiron studied him again and then rolled his eyes. “You’re not a very convincing liar, we’ll have to work on that,” Chiron muttered, but at least he seemingly appreciated Percy trying. “Eat up Jackson, you will need your strength for what Annabeth has planned next. I heard her talking to Nico about plans to repaint the outside of the gym.” 

Percy groaned, his back already starting to cramp at the thought of having to repaint the gym. Undoubtedly, he would be the one doing most of the work even though Nico was most likely going to offer to ‘help’.

\-------

Annabeth was doing her best to keep a smile on her face, but she was nervous and a little irritated. Leo Valdez was late by at least ten minutes, and if there was one thing Annabeth hated, it was having her time wasted. 

“Are you sure he’s coming?” Nico asked from his position at Annabeth’s elbow. She had asked him to stick close by, in case Valdez pissed her off and she tried to maul his face off. 

“His text message said he was on his way,” Annabeth said, gritting her teeth. She had insisted that they all wait outside from Leo to make a good impression, but the cold bay breeze was giving her regrets. 

Chiron glanced at Percy who was scrolling on his phone and gave him a sharp look of disapproval. “Well let’s hope Mr. Valdez gets his act together.” 

As if on cue a large town car rolled slowly up to the gym. Leo stepped out of the car in all of his nerdy glory. He wasn’t as tall as Percy and about eye level with Annabeth, but he was beaming at them like they were old friends. 

“Apologies for my tardiness. My driver passed the place a couple of times and then we stopped to get a slushie.” Leo said holding up the blue frozen drink. 

It took everything inside Annabeth to not glare at the man. Instead, she forced herself to smile bigger and offered her hand. “Thank you for coming, Mr. Valdez. I’m Annabeth Chase, you know Nico, and those two are Chiron Brunner and of course Percy Jackson.” She said trying to keep her tone formal.

Leo shook each of their hands in turn before flashing a smile of his own. “Pleasure to meet all of you. Why don’t you show me around, Annie.” 

“It’s Annabeth.” She corrected sharply, before clearing her throat. “As you can see the gym is in need of a fresh coat of paint, but it has a lot of heart.” 

Leo nodded and followed after her. “It’s more quaint than I imagined, but I could see its charm.” He admitted, humming his approval as he followed her. His eyes narrowed as he took in the sight of the dated equipment. “I am no athlete but are any of these weights from within the last decade.” 

Chiron shook his head. “The gym was once state of the art.”

“When in the late 90s?” Leo asked.

“Actually late 80s, early 90s, not that it matters.” Chiron shot back, although it did actually matter to him. “Are you just here to diss my facility, Mr. Valdez.”

“Easy gramps, be chill. I am just checking the place out, I need to see the bare bones so I know what to buy to make it better.” The investor let out a laugh and turned to look at Percy, sizing the fighter up. “What do you think of the place, Jackson? It has character doesn’t it?”

Percy looked like he wanted the floor to open up and swallow him. He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to be agreeing with Leo or sticking up for the gym. “I like it here.” He replied neutrally, not wanting to get in the middle of the posturing that seemed to be going on.

“I see that orange chip on your neck. Seven months of sobriety, color me impressed.” Leo said plucking at the sobriety chip that hung from the leather cord around Percy’s neck. “Glad to know we’re not starting from zero, I am putting a lot of money into you. Did Annie tell you about the conditions of our deal?”

Taking a step back, Percy’s eyes narrowed dangerously. As far as first impressions were going, Percy already didn’t like this guy so much. He wasn’t sure if Leo was talking a big game and just sticking his foot in his mouth, or if he was actually this much of a bonehead. 

“Annabeth didn’t tell me about the deal. What conditions are you talking about?” Percy asked, looking between the two of them. Annabeth wouldn’t meet his eyes, but Leo was looking at him like he was privy to a huge secret about Percy’s life. 

Leo clapped his hands together in front of him. “Well, we are going to make a documentary about you and your comeback. Since I will be footing the bill for all of this…” He broke off to gesture around the gum. “I want to make sure I get a good return on this investment.”   
“Wait, you’re going to be filming me? I’m not a reality star Mr. Valdez.” Percy protested. He knew what the general public thought about him. He was aware of his reputation of being a train wreck and he didn’t want to give them even more ammunition. 

“Not yet you aren’t. It’s not so much reality tv, it’s a documentary about your comeback. I believe in you Riptide, it’s time you believe in yourself.” Leo said flashing another smug smile. "Whether you succeed in making it back to the top of the mountain or not, there will be footage of it. It has the chance to be a real feel-good type of movie."

Percy had a feeling that this was only the beginning of the weird conditions. “What other conditions are there?”

Annabeth stepped in front of Leo and looked Percy dead in the eyes. “He wants you to stay sober, he’s going to demand random drug tests. You have to stay clean or else this falls apart.” Annabeth explained. 

“You’ve already got seven months under your belt, keep it up champ. You can stay clean.” Leo said reaching around Annabeth to lightly punch Percy in the shoulder like they were old friends. 

Percy’s fist balled at his side, he hated when people grabbed him and prodded at him like Leo kept doing. “Stop it.” He warned, his temper starting to flare.

Chiron could sense Percy was getting frustrated and cleared his throat. “Annabeth mentioned that you wanted to be an owner in the gym?” He asked, trying to get Leo to focus on him for a little bit so he would quit antagonizing Percy. 

Leo’s whole face lit up as he turned to face Chiron, it was as if he had been waiting for this question. “Yes, I wanted to help make this gym successful. I am willing to throw the whole weight of my wallet behind this place. I am talking about new flooring, fresh paint, and a new sign. Not only will you be getting new equipment but with the remodel I can make sure you have enough room to hold more classes. We are going to turn this into more than just a boxing gym, we’ll make it an MMA dojo as well.”

“I assume you have some hand-picked trainers and coaches you want working here?” Chiron asked hesitantly. He wasn’t comfortable letting Leo have so much unchecked power at the gym.

“Well, I already know who I want to film the documentary. I can make you a list of great personal trainers, coaches, physical therapists that you should look into hiring, but that might be your area of expertise. Just let me know whose names need to be on the checks.” Leo said, before glancing at his watch. A deep frown settled on his face. “I really must be going. Annie, be sure to send me a list of the things you need to be done for the gym, and I’ll have my assistant work on it. Calypso is great at finding contractors, this is going to be great.” He called over his shoulder as he left the gym.

Annabeth scowled after him and tried to force herself to breathe. “If he keeps calling me Annie, Jackson will be the least of his problems.” She muttered darkly. 

“He was about as fun as getting kicked in the balls.” Nico deadpanned.

Percy couldn’t help but agree. “I remember why I hate slimy business people.” Percy sighed, feeling the distinct need to go punch something. “I am going to go for a run, I’ll catch up with you guys later.” 

Truthfully Percy was trying to remember why it was a bad idea to drink. Being around Leo had put him on edge, and Percy could feel a little negative voice in his head telling him that he was going to fail and let them down anyways. That he should just screw up now and save them all the pain of getting invested in him. The voice in his head unrelenting as it reminded him of all the people he had let down.

He didn’t even give them time to argue as he walked out of the gym. Percy wasn’t sure where he was going but he took off, running in a random direction. His knee was already hurting but Percy tried to ignore that as he ran. Soon enough he hit his stride and was able to focus more on his breathing, but he couldn’t completely outrun the negative thoughts in his head. 

It was about thirty minutes later that Percy ended up down by the San Francisco piers. He slowed down to a walk and picked his way through them, before ending up at a tiny hole in the wall bar. He was fighting a war within himself as he settled at the bartop and ordered a round of shots. He tugged his leather cord necklace off, playing with the ridges of his sobriety coin. 

A male bartender brought him a drink, but before Percy could take it, a hand reached out from beside him and stole the shots.

“Hey!” Percy snapped, clearly irritated. He turned to look at the drink thief and found himself staring into dark eyes. 

The drink thief was a woman, who wore a name tag that read ‘Reyna’ and had her title listed as ‘bartender’. Reyna was wearing a dark black tank top and some old blue jeans. Her muscular arms were littered with different tattoos and she was staring at Percy as though he had personally offended her. 

“You stole my drink.” Percy snapped, trying to figure out why she had done that. She looked oddly familiar, but he couldn’t place where he knew her from. 

“I know, you’re welcome for that,” Reyna said throwing back the first shot and slamming the glass down. She then slid the rest of the shots out of his reach and slapped his hand away when he tried to get them back.

Percy let out an annoyed growl and started to raise a hand to attract the male bartender’s attention when Reyna reached out and shoved Percy’s hand back down. “What the heck is your problem lady? Do I know you or something?” 

“You should know me, but you always had your head so far up your backside, so I’m not surprised you don’t remember me. I was a former fighter, retired about two years after you started due to a concussion.” Reyna explained, watching as recognition finally dawned on Percy’s face. 

“You’re Reyna Ramírez-Arellano, they called you the Lion of the Legion. You fought for the SPQR.” Percy said, thankful that his memory had kicked in. He hadn’t known Reyna well, but he had seen her fight before her retirement. She was one of the most gifted and pure athletes he had ever witnessed in person. 

An amused glint entered Reyna’s eyes. “So you do remember me. Glad to know I make an impression.” 

Percy rolled his eyes. “Why did you steal my drink?” 

“Because you shouldn’t be drinking. It would be a waste to throw away your sobriety.” Reyna said nodding to the coin. “I wouldn’t be a good bartender if I didn’t tell you to actually think about it. What’s got you so down you want to throw away all your hard work?” 

Percy glanced at his seven-month chip and sighed as he put it back on around his neck. “I had a crappy day and my knee is hurting.” 

Reyna raised a brow. “So what? Everybody has crappy days, not a good enough reason to drink Jackson. Try again.” 

Irritation curled in Percy’s gut, but he tried to push it down. “Why does it matter to you if I drink or not?” 

“Because nobody else in this bar is going to tell you no, but I will. You were cocky but you were also a heck of a fighter. Everybody else might enable you, hoping you’ll get sloshed and put on a show. They all want the latest saga of Percy Jackson the washed-up fighter.” Reyna said pointedly. “I don’t want to see you fall on your face in my bar Jackson. Undoubtedly some random punk will try and fight you and I’d rather not have to deal with that drama.”

He hadn’t considered that, but now that Reyna brought it up, she realized he had a valid point. “You break up a lot of fights?” He asked curiously. 

“More than you think, but bartending pays the bills so I can teach self-defense to women for free at the local YMCA,” Reyna said, sounding almost proud of herself. “I may not be able to fight for a living anymore, but I can still help people. Most of the time it’s me just trying to get them to think twice before making stupid mistakes.” 

The wheels were slowly starting to turn in Percy’s head. “I guess that would explain why you’re still in such good shape.” 

A blush dusted Reyna’s cheeks but she covered that up with a look of disdain. “Are you hitting on me Jackson, you must have been drinking before you got here then.”

“No, I am not hitting on you,” Percy replied quickly, shaking his head. “I was just saying you’re in really good shape. I am trying to train for a comeback and I could use some help from somebody who knows what they’re doing.” 

Reyna looked a bit startled. “You want me to train you? You barely recognized me a minute ago.” 

“You said you like to help people, I could use the help. If you help me, I’ll help you with your self-defense class. I’ll let your students use me as a test dummy.” Percy offered, before going into detail about his situation with Annabeth and Chiron. 

“Are you really sure about making these decisions without consulting them? I’m not sure I trust your judgment, you were here to drink and throw away your sobriety before I stopped you.” Reyna pointed out, sounding hesitant. 

“I listened to you though, which means I’m teachable.” Percy pointed out with a smile. “Look, maybe just think about it. It could be a win-win for everybody. Chiron gets people using the gym, I get a trainer, and you get to have a test dummy for your class.” 

Reyna wasn’t totally convinced but shrugged. She grabbed one of the bar napkins and a pen, scribbling down her number. “Here, give me a few days to think about it and we’ll talk.” 

Percy smiled and slowly got to his feet, putting the napkin in his pocket. “Alright, I’ll see if I can convince Annabeth, so she isn’t surprised when you join up.” 

“I didn’t say yes.” 

“You didn’t say yes, yet. But you will, I have a good feeling about this Reyna.” Percy said, starting to feel a little optimistic. He no longer felt as triggered to drink, even though he was still worried about letting everybody down.

“Get out of my bar Jackson, and don’t let me catch you anywhere near this one or another one. If you drink, I won’t even think about training or helping you.” Reyna warned, giving him a stern look. 

Percy slowly began to back out of the bar. “Alright, alright. You got it, no drinking.” 

“Call your sponsor if you’re struggling or go to a meeting,” Reyna called after his retreating form. 

Calling his sponsor wasn’t actually a bad idea. Percy pulled out his phone to make the call and also google maps his way back to the gym when a familiar truck pulled up next to where he was standing. 

A very clearly pissed off Annabeth Chase was in the driver’s seat. “Get in the car Jackson!”

“Annabeth?” Percy was confused but made his way to the car. “What are you doing here?” 

Annabeth wordlessly pulled out her own phone and showed Percy a grainy picture of him sitting at the bar and talking to Reyna. It had been taken right after Reyna had stolen his drink. 

Percy stared at the picture, wondering what dumb person had taken a picture of him. He turned to look at Annabeth but she was busy focusing on moving the car back out into the flow of traffic. He wasn’t sure what to say to her, or if it would only make her angrier. He knew how it looked, barely three days into the being there and he had already let her down. 

“Well, aren’t you going to say anything?” Annabeth snapped after driving in silence for a couple of minutes. 

Percy wasn’t the best at navigating but he realized rather quickly she wasn’t driving towards the gym but rather towards the freeway. “It isn’t what it looks like.” 

Annabeth scoffed and glanced at him quickly. “So you weren’t throwing away your sobriety and drinking, mere hours after you promised you wouldn’t?”

“I am not going to lie to you Annabeth, I wanted to drink. I got lost in my thoughts when I went running and I ended up at the bar. I was going to drink when this girl stopped me.” Percy explained. He told Annabeth about how he knew Reyna, as well as mentioning how Reyna taught self-defense classes and would be good at training him. “Reyna convinced me not to drink, I’m sober.” 

Annabeth was feeling conflicted and it showed on her face as she drove. “I have half a mind to drive you to the airport and send you back to the East Coast. Chiron is taking a gamble on you, he believes in you for some reason. If you screw him over, I don’t care who you are, I’ll take you down myself.” Annabeth said after a long moment. She was angry at him, that much was clear. 

“I’m sorry, I can’t promise you that I won’t let you down, but I’m really going to try,” Percy said shifting in the passenger seat so he could watch her. Even though she was angry, the passing lamp lights cast her in a soft sort of glow. He could see now that she hadn’t just been angry, she had also been concerned about him. “It’s been a long time since anybody believed in me. A year ago I was at the top of the mountain and now I feel like I’m a nobody. I feel like I’ve lost everything that matters.” 

“Strike one Jackson. Three strikes and you’re out.” Annabeth warned, before pulling over into a semi-desolate parking lot. Percy had no idea where they were, but Annabeth seemed to be finally calming down. 

Percy swallowed hard and gave an abrupt nod, signaling that he understood her words. “Are you going to make me walk home? I don’t know where we are.” 

“As much as I would like to make you walk home, I have a feeling you’d get mugged. No, I am staying in the car. You are going to go in there.” Annabeth said pointing to a small store in the middle of a bunch of larger stores. “They hold an AA meeting twice a week. I expect you to attend. I will be waiting for you out here when you’re done.” 

Of all the things Percy had expected, Annabeth driving him an AA meeting was not one of them. “You’re just going to sit out here? I don’t know how long it will take.” 

Annabeth shrugged her shoulders, the blonde jerked her thumb to her laptop that was in the backseat of the truck. “I have work to do anyway. I need to check into this Reyna chick and see if she’s actually a suitable trainer.” 

Percy grunted and slowly got out of the truck as Annabeth fired up her laptop. He started to head into the meeting, but then paused and walked back to Annabeth’s window and knocked on it. Annabeth startled, she raised a brow and slowly rolled down her window. 

“Did you forget something, seaweed brain?” Annabeth asked, clearly irritated at being interrupted. 

Percy grimaced at the nickname. “I just wanted to say thank you for bringing me here and also for coming to get me from the bar.” 

Annabeth’s eyes widened and she actually looked caught off guard by his apology. She awkwardly shifted in her seat.“ You’re welcome. To be honest, I was fully prepared to drag you kicking and screaming out of the bar if I had too. I thought I’d have to scrape you off the floor. I’m glad you’re still sober Jackson, now get in the meeting I have work to do.” Annabeth said, before rolling up the window. 

Percy chuckled quietly to himself and walked inside the meeting. He wasn’t sure what to make of Annabeth, but she was already proving to be unpredictable in a good way. Percy could see how much she cared about Chiron and the gym, that was enough to make him want to try to rise to the occasion. She was challenging and stubborn, but even behind the cold attitude, Percy could tell that she was somebody with a good heart. 

Besides, Percy didn’t have it in him to back down from a challenge, especially if it was one as beautiful as Annabeth. He had a feeling she was going to put him through his paces, but he was ready to try and earn her trust. He wanted to prove to her and Chiron that he was worth taking a risk on. It had meant a lot to him, that she had come back for him and even more that she had driven him to a meeting. She definitely had his respect now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so how many of you are enjoying this story? I know I am, I haven't felt this inspired in a really long time. Please, please feel free to leave a comment. It would make my day to know what you all are liking about the story. Who is your favorite character so far and why? Do you think Percy will end up back at the top of the mountain or is he doomed to fail. Will Reyna be just what he needed to whip him back into shape? Can Leo be trusted to actually help the gym or does he have ulterior motives?


	5. Chapter 5: A solid foundation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy starts training with Reyna, and meets Frank for the first time. Annabeth has a bit of a heart-to-heart with Percy's new coach.

“You are favoring your knee again.” 

Percy gritted his teeth as Reyna nudged his bad knee. The cold air in San Francisco wasn’t exactly doing his knee any favors, but he didn’t want to complain. Even if he did, Reyna was going to ignore it anyway. He was thankful for his coach though, she was a real pain in the neck, but at least she knew what she was doing. 

They had been training for a week now and while his knee was protesting, the rest of Percy was enjoying the workouts. Being active and going through the drills brought back a feeling of satisfaction. The only part Percy wasn’t too happy about was the fact that there was a camera trained on him. 

Every time he got knocked to the mat or felt his temper rising, there was a camera being shoved into his face. Percy was really starting to resent that and he could tell that Reyna was getting irritated with it as well. 

“Come on Jackson, throw one good kick and we can take a break,” Reyna said, trying to push Percy. She could tell his knee was bothering him, but she wanted to see if he could push through the pain. She was dressed in sparring pads and had been letting Percy practice his strikes against them. 

Percy rubbed his knee, willing his body to come through for him. He lashed out with a kick, though it was a lot weaker than it used to be. He wouldn’t admit it, but there was a piece of him that was scared. He didn’t trust his knee to be able to hold him up. 

Reyna frowned and shook her head. “Turn the camera off.” She said, giving the camera operator a stern look when they started to argue. She wanted to talk to Percy without somebody sticking a camera in his face. 

Percy lowered himself to the ring mat and began to stretch, massaging his aching knee. “Are you going to yell at me some more?” He asked curiously. 

“No, but I do have a question for you, do you want to fight again? Because if you do, you have to find a way around this mental block. You don’t trust yourself, and if you don’t trust yourself, why should anybody else put their trust in you?” Reyna asked, her gaze searching. She sat down across from Percy, really studying the fighter. 

“Of course I want to fight again.” Percy snapped. It was all he had been thinking about, earning his way back up through the ranks and getting his title back. “I am trying my best.” 

Reyna snorted. “If the effort that I’ve seen the last few days is your best, then you can kiss your dreams of being champion again goodbye. Is it the camera that’s throwing you off?” 

Percy groaned in frustration. “How would you like being filmed every second of the day? I got lied to about this place, I wasn’t told how run-down it was until after I flew out here. I am a professional athlete and I’m being used as free labor to fix said run-down gym. Annabeth sold my life story without asking, and I feel used.” Percy sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He wasn’t trying to be ungrateful, he appreciated Chiron taking a chance on him, but he felt bamboozled. 

Annabeth had earned his respect by taking him to the AA meetings, but most of the time she ignored him unless she wanted something. Most of their conversations involved her snarking at him, and it was starting to grate on his nerves. He had seen a softer side to her, so he wasn’t sure why she kept switching between hot and cold with him. It was starting to give him emotional whiplash and he didn’t like it. 

“I can talk to Annabeth for you about the cameras. They are still going to want to film you some times, but there’s a chance I can get the amount of time you’re on camera per day reduced.” Reyna found the cameras a little distracting as well. As for Percy feeling used, she’d mention that to Annabeth as well. Reyna needed Percy focused on getting back into fighting shape, not spending all of his free time fixing up the gym. 

“People look at me like a train wreck, they can’t tear their eyes away, because they want to see the crash. I just don’t want to be the train wreck anymore.” Percy said quietly. He had lost a lot, most of it was his own fault. He just didn’t want to lose anymore, he really needed a win. 

“Percy, just because people see you one way, doesn’t mean you have to take that on as your identity. You get to choose who you are, what kind of fighter you are. You get to make those decisions, only you. If this documentary is supposed to be a comeback, then let’s show them just how hard you worked to get back to the top of the mountain.” Reyna was trying to help him see the brighter side of the documentary. She wasn’t sure she could get it canceled due to the gym’s contract with Valdez, but Reyna was going to do what she could to protect her fighter. 

“Thank you for that, it actually helped,” Percy said. He glanced up at the clock on the wall and slowly got to his feet. “I need to shower, but then I’ll help you set up for your self-defense class.” Percy wanted to be reliable, Reyna had been helping him out a lot, and he wanted to keep his word and return the favor. 

“Sounds good,” Reyna said as her eyes drifted to the second floor of the gym. She could see Annabeth was still at work and decided now was probably the best time to talk to her, since the gym was otherwise empty. 

\----

Annabeth was doing her best to keep the gym afloat. Leo's money was helping them get back on track, but there was still so much to do. Annabeth knew she was going to have to hire contractors or at least hire people that she could delegate some of the tasks to. She felt like she was juggling a lot of different plates, and struggling to keep them all spinning. Thankfully Percy seemed to be keeping himself out of trouble which made her job a little easier, the more he flew under the radar, the better. 

A knock at the door drew her attention and Annabeth found herself staring into the concerned eyes of Reyna Ramírez-Arellano. Annabeth had done her research on Percy's trainer and had made the decision to hire her. Not that she would admit it out loud, but she had a begrudging respect for the former fighter, even if Reyna was slightly intimidating. 

"Come on in, what can I do for you Ms. Ramírez-Arellano?" Annabeth asked, leaning back in her seat. 

"Just call me Reyna. I was wondering if I could talk to you about Percy?" Reyna said as she made her way in. She took a seat across from Annabeth and shifted awkwardly in the uncomfortable chair. 

Uneasiness seemed to curl up in Annabeth's stomach, was Reyna already quitting? "What about Percy? Did he do something offensive or saying something? I swear he has seaweed for brains." 

Reyna gave her a curious look and shook her head. "No, he didn't do anything like that. The reason I wanted to talk to you about Percy is that this whole documentary thing is kind of getting to him. Having the camera in his face is distracting from his training." 

Annabeth frowned and leaned back in her seat. "We have to do the documentary though, it's part of the deal with Valdez." 

"Well, it would be in his best interest if you could reduce the amount of time he's being filmed. Or at least find a better person to document him." Reyna said, trying to stick up for Percy. She wanted to see him be successful and Reyna had a feeling that Annabeth wanted the same thing. 

"I can talk to Valdez about it, but I am not sure what he's going to say in response." Annabeth sighed and shifted her attention to the mountain of paperwork on her desk. 

"Can I let you in on a secret?" Reyna waited until Annabeth was looking at her. "From what I've gathered, Percy's whole life has been people needing things from him, taking the pieces that fit what they want and discarding the rest. He feels used, like the only reason you want him around is to use him for free labor and for his fame. Percy can help you save your gym, but he won't care about how much you know until he knows how much you care."

Annabeth raised a brow. "I do care about him, as much as a boss can care about their employees." 

"Annabeth, he's a human being. Do you actually care about him staying sober for himself or do you want him to stay sober for selfish reasons?" Reyna asked quietly. She wasn't trying to make Annabeth feel attacked, she was simply trying to explain Percy's side of things. "He'll fight you, you just need to show him that you have his back too. You sold his life story and didn't talk to him, if the roles were reversed how would you feel?" 

"I sold his life story so that the gym could be funded and we could support his rise back to the top." Annabeth protested, she didn't think she had sold Percy out. As she thought back to Percy's reaction, she realized he had acted a bit uncomfortable but hadn't gone against her out of respect. "Okay, I see your point. I should have talked to him and been upfront about a lot of things. I owe him an apology." 

Reyna nodded slowly. "Yeah, you kind of do. Percy isn't perfect, but he isn't the worst either. He can be misguided but with a strong support system around him, I think he has the ability to be successful." 

"That's the other thing. If we are going to build a team around him, we're going to need reliable people. I don't have those types of contacts and Percy already burnt a lot of bridges." Annabeth said. She had been struggling to find the right people to put around Percy. "We need people for him to spar with..." Annabeth sighed and buried her face into her hands. 

"Well, I actually have an idea for that. My friend Frank helps me run my self-defense classes, he'll be here later tonight. He would be a good match for sparring and I know he could help me train Percy. Frank is a former soldier in the Canadian Military." Reyna explained before a thought occurred to her. "You know Percy also needs a physical therapist, his knee is still giving him trouble. Maybe also a massage therapist as well." 

Annabeth slowly lifted her head out of her hands. "I take it, you have some suggestions?" 

A coy smile crossed Reyna's features. "I might have a few suggestions. I'll email you a list of people to look into. Percy doesn't need just anybody in his corner, he needs the right people. Anyways, maybe talk to Percy and clear the air, but definitely get rid of the documentary guy. He sucks, why don't you talk to Valdez as well and try to get somebody new. I think it would be a better fit all around." Reyna checked her wristwatch and stood up, gesturing over her shoulder. "I have a class to teach, think about what I said." 

"I will, you brought up a lot of good points," Annabeth admitted. She was starting to see Reyna in a new light. If they wanted Percy to be successful then they needed to be on the same page, and having a solid foundation of people was only going to help Percy and not hinder him. “Be sure to send me that list.”

\-----

Reyna's self-defense class ended up being a lot tougher than Percy had anticipated. His coach was very thorough in showing her students how to accurately take somebody down and since Percy was her test dummy, he had got put flat on his back multiple times during the class. Usually, he would have used his own skills to stay on his feet, but Reyna had explained to him that it was important for the people in the class to see the moves working. So for almost two hours, Percy had allowed people to try out their self-defense moves on him. 

He was thankful that he wasn't alone in it. Reyna was also taking some of the moves, and she had brought in another test dummy named Frank. Percy's first impression of Reyna's friend was that Frank Zhang was built like a tank. He was taller than Percy at 6'3 and his hair was cut short as though Frank had just walked off some military base. Frank was physically imposing and yet almost seemed to be the most gentle out of everybody there in the classes. He was the only always talking to the younger kids taking the class or the older woman and allowing them to try their techniques. 

There was a real authenticity to Frank, he was strong yet kind and Percy admired that. He could see that everybody in the class naturally gravitated towards the former soldier due to his kindness. Even Reyna seemed to lighten up a little bit with Frank around, Percy hadn't seen his coach smile that much in the week that she had been trying to train him. 

"Alright class, thank you all for coming out tonight. I'll see you next time." Reyna said as she clapped her hands together. She shifted her attention to Percy and Frank. "Do you guys mind putting up the mats? I'm going to make sure everybody gets to their cars okay." 

"Sure thing," Frank said, giving a nod. 

"Yeah, what he said." Percy began to gather the mats, making sure to wipe them down with a disinfectant wipe, before putting them in the corner of the room. 

"It might be faster to just spray the mats with Lysol," Frank commented as he helped Percy stack the mats. He wasn't saying it to be difficult, he was just trying to help Percy. 

Percy glanced at him, trying to gauge whether or not Frank was making fun of him. "That's actually a decent idea." Percy conceded. 

Frank let out a laugh and just shook his head. "I am known to have the occasional good idea. It's why Reyna keeps me around." 

Curiosity got the best of Percy as he turned to look at Frank. "Are you and her dating? I sensed some serious chemistry." 

Frank's eyes widened. "No, not at all. It's not like that, Reyna is amazing but she's like my best friend or a sister. I owe her a lot, but we could never date." Frank was looking like a fish out of the water, unable to shut up even to save his life. "When I got out of the military, I didn't know what to do with myself. I went to Reyna's bar intended to drink myself stupid and I met her, she told me about her self defense classes and I volunteered to help." 

"You volunteered to get put on your back?" Percy questioned, before laughing. "You are a very interesting dude." 

"Aren't we all interesting in our own ways?" Frank asked with a coy smile. "What about you, how did you end up here?"

Percy stared at him quizzically, wondering if Frank actually had no idea who he was. "I used to be a Mixed Martial Artist, I was really good, a champion even. I got cocky and then I got hurt, made even more bad decisions but I eventually ended up here at this gym. Reyna is coaching me, trying to help me get back into fighting form." 

"Ah, I see. Well, sometimes the only way out of a bad situation is to stop digging the hole that you're in and lay down your shovel. Reyna is a good teacher." Frank said, a note of pride in his voice. "I thought you looked familiar, they called you 'Riptide' right?"

"Yep, that's me," Percy said, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "Maybe you could train with me and Reyna one of these days. We're kind of a smaller operation and it wouldn't pay much, but it'd be nice to spar with somebody else."

That seemed to amuse Frank, and the taller man just chuckled. "Careful what you wish for Jackson, I actually got pretty high in the military martial arts. My specialty was endurance, I am a big fan of strength and conditioning. I am not sure you could keep up." Frank warned with a playful glint in his eyes. 

It had been a while since Percy felt the old familiar flicker of competitiveness. "You're on, but not tonight. I'm exhausted already and I need to get some sleep. I have an early morning workout session with Reyna, she mentioned yoga and I'm not looking forward to it." 

Frank had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing at Percy. "You don't strike me as a man who would enjoy yoga. I'd trust Reyna though, she tends to have a game plan. It was nice meeting you Percy." Frank said sticking out his hand respectfully towards Percy.

"Nice to meet you too Frank. I hope to see you around." Percy replied as they shook hands. 

Percy's mind was already spinning a million miles a minute. He wasn't sure if he got a say on who could be part of his team, but he liked Frank's demeanor. Chiron had said that the Gym's slogan was 'hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard' and Frank definitely seemed like a hard worker. Plus it would help Reyna because it would allow her to watch Percy fight somebody else and make better assessments of his skills. Percy just hoped that he could convince her to bring Frank onto the team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everybody who has been reading my story. You all are so amazing, be sure to leave comments and kudos, they make my day.


	6. Chapter 6: Team Building

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Percy trains with Frank and Reyna, Annabeth sets out to finish building a support staff for him, so that she can look to the future.

Percy let out a grunt of pain as he was once again taken down roughly to the mat. Frank might not have been a trained cage fighter, but the former soldier wasn’t somebody that Percy wanted to mess with. Reyna seemed to get her own amusement out of Frank taking Percy down, but thankfully she hadn’t said anything. 

Percy took the hand that Frank offered him and allowed himself to be pulled up to his feet. They had been at this training thing for a long time, Percy was coated in sweat but he was finally feeling like himself again. Having somebody disciplined like Frank around was proving to be a good influence on Percy. It made him miss Grover through, so Percy tried not to think about it too much. Even Annabeth seemed to like Frank and appreciate the man's presence. 

“You’re doing a lot better Jackson. I see improvements every day, you’re still protecting your knee though.” Reyna said as she studied Percy. Now that he was sparring with Frank on the regular, it had given her an opportunity to analyze more of his movements. 

“I am trying to be better about it,” Percy grunted, rubbing at his sore knee. 

The scar was finally starting to fade but it did bother him sometimes. He was grateful nevertheless that Annabeth had looked into hiring a physical therapist for him. She had started being kinder towards him, which made him a little wary. Apparently Annabeth had gone to bat for him and talked Valdez into hiring a different director for the documentary. Percy was actually supposed to meet the new director after his training session. As a show of good faith, he was going to give an interview. 

Annabeth had informed him that the interviewer’s name was Rachel Dare and although she had a couple of small credits to her name, this would be her big break. The gym owner had also demanded that Percy play nice and not try to sleep with the director. Percy, of course, had just smirked flirtatiously and wiggled his eyebrows, which made Annabeth flip him off. Getting a rise out of Annabeth was one of the few things Percy actually treasured. 

It was funny to him because Annabeth would get this fire in her eyes and Percy swore nothing was as beautiful as seeing the girl passionate about something. He would never admit that to her of course, because he was stupid. He had learned his lesson about mixing business with pleasure, and he didn’t want to put his comeback at risk. 

"Don't you have that meeting with Rachel soon?" Frank asked curiously as he used a meaty hand to wipe the sweat from his own face. 

Percy nodded his head. "Yeah, soon. I am kind of nervous about it." He admitted as he squared up with Frank to continue sparring. 

"What's there to be nervous about Jackson? She'll probably just ask you questions about your career." Reyna said, studying the way that Frank and Percy were circling each other. Frank was undoubtedly out of Percy's weight class, but she wanted to see how Percy would handle himself. 

Percy sighing as he threw a few testing jabs at Frank, trying to see which way his opponent would go. "More than likely it'll be about my injury and the fall out from it. I hurt a lot of people and it's not fun to be reminded of your greatest screw-ups all the time." 

Frank dodged one of Percy's punches and nailed him hard in the gut with a punch. "So you screwed up, own your mistakes and try to fix it. Would you say that you've changed in the year since your injury." 

Grunting in pain and fighting to catch his breath after Frank's attack had driven it from him, Percy again nodded. "I've changed a lot." He panted. 

"You'll need to be honest with the interviewer, but don't be so down on yourself. Show them the new and improved Percy Jackson." Reyna replied, stepping in between Frank and Percy. "We're done for today, go ice your knee and get ready. Frank, come with me." 

If Percy was surprised that Reyna was calling an end to their training session early, he didn't say it. Instead, he was thankful for the little bit of a reprieve. He had been working hard lately and he was sore. During the year that he had been out with an injury, he had lost his fighting form and he was still trying to work his way back. Cardio was important to a fighter and he was doing his best to build his cardio back up. 

Obeying what Reyna told him, he went to get some ice and sat down in the locker room. He held the ice pack to his knee and squad and shivered at the cold feeling. With his free hand, he scrolled through his phone before settling on his mom's number. Percy had tried to respect his family's wishes and he hadn't spoken to them in a while. He missed hearing his mom's voice but he settled for a text message. 

_'Hey Mom, it's Percy. I just wanted to check in with you and see how you are. I am in San Francisco these days, training at a boxing gym if you can believe it. I hope you, Tyson, and Grover are doing well. I've been going to therapy and to my AA meetings. I actually got my chip for being eight months sober the other day. It hasn't been easy, but I am really trying to turn my life around. I really am sorry for everything I put you through mom. I love you and I miss you - Percy'_

Sending the message Percy set his phone down. He wanted to apologize in person to his mom, but he wasn't sure she would want to see him. Sometimes it still felt like he would never escape the shadows of his past, it was easy to get lost in the muck of negative thinking. Percy closed his eyes and laid his head back against the lockers, hoping that maybe one day his mom would send him a response. 

Eventually, he grew tired of sulking and decided to take a shower, Rachel Dare would be expecting him soon for the interview and Percy didn't want to spell. Annabeth had drilled into him, that it was important to make a good impression. 

\-------

"This is quite the resume you have Mr. Solace," Annabeth commented as she read over the file in front of her. She had taken the advice Nico, Chiron, and Reyna had been giving her. It was time to expand Percy's team and if they were going to be successful then Percy definitely needed a physical therapist on staff. 

She was truly impressed by what she was seeing on the page. Will Solace was highly regarded as one of the best physical therapists and had been spoken of very highly by every one of his references. The blonde, blue-eyed, tall, Texan was very charming and had a nice smile. He always kept eye contact and was confident in his answers without being condescending. Annabeth liked him almost immediately, but she still had some questions before she offered him the job. 

"Do you know who Percy Jackson is?" Annabeth asked, studying him closely. She didn't want to put anybody in Percy's life that would sabatoge him or put negative energy into the gym.

"Ma'am, I have heard his name but I wouldn't say I know much about him," Will answered honestly. "If I get this job, I will do everything in my power to help him be successful." 

Annabeth nodded slowly. "Mr. Jackson can be a bit a bit of a handful." She warned, wanting to lay all the cards out on the table. She had realized after the whole thing with Percy, that it was important, to be honest from the get-go. She didn't want to repeat those same mistakes that she had made when bringing Percy into the fold. 

Will had just laughed and shrugged. "I am not too worried about that. I have had my share of difficult clients." He had assured her. 

For some reason, it was easy to believe that Will would be able to handle Percy's mood swings. Annabeth was curious to see how Percy would react, but she had a good feeling about the physical therapist. "I will be sure to be in contact with you, Mr. Solace," Annabeth said, shaking his hand. 

That had been a easiest part of Annabeth's day, since she generally hated doing interviews. She had managed to also fill the position of Percy's nutritionist, thankfully Hazel Levesque was also a multi-talented and good at massages too. Annabeth had been doing research into the kind of people that top-level fighters had in their camps, and Hazel seemed like the perfect fit. 

Hazel had actually surprised Annabeth by presenting some questions and concerns of her own. Rightfully so, Hazel had presented some concerns about Percy's addictions and what he was doing to confront those issues. It was one thing to help Percy change his dietary needs, but if he was just going to use drugs and drink, it would be a waste of her time. Hazel definitely did not enjoy having her time wasted. 

"If Mr. Jackson is going to be successful then I'll need to be talking to the other members of his staff. We need to be on the same page and be able to present a united front." Hazel said, giving a nod. 

Annabeth actually admired the woman's passion, it seemed that they shared a lot of the common goals. Reyna and Frank seemed to be more Percy's speed, but Will and Hazel were going to bring a nice balance. 

"I totally agree with you, Ms. Levesque." Annabeth could barely keep the smile off of her face. 

She was starting to feel more confident about what they were building at the gym. Before she hadn't been sure that they could pull everything off, but now she was starting to believe that there was a real chance at putting Percy back up on top of the mountain. Her staffing choices still needed approval from Chiron but she didn't think the old man would actually contradict her since she was making his dreams come true. 

Now there was just the final piece of the puzzle that Annabeth needed to find. Annabeth had her hands full trying to run the gym, but both Percy and the gym needed a serious public relations makeover. A lot of people still resented Percy for the way he had acted as champion and many didn't believe that he deserved to make a comeback. Percy's public image seemed to need just as much rehab as his injured knee did. 

Leo Valdez had a lot of business contacts and had sent over a list of respectable candidates, but it was one name in particular that caught Annabeth's attention. She had heard of Piper McLean before, normally the woman worked with actors and musicians, but she was one of the best. A real shark who knew how to fight for her clients and paint a good picture. 

Like Hazel, when Piper had found out about the business opportunity she had some important questions. Namely, she wanted to know if Percy was actually sober or if that was just the lie that they were spinning. Piper had also wanted to know about the documentary that was being shot and what kind of light it was meant to paint Percy in. 

"I can help you and the gym Ms. Chase, but I need to know that Mr. Jackson is actually trying to be a better person. I am very talented, but I can't make a snowman out of crap. If I am going to rehab the gym and Mr. Jackson's image, then I need some assurance that it'll be worth my while." 

Annabeth had seen the way that Piper worked, the girl's tongue was like honey and the public seemed to normally buy whatever she was saying. Piper could be very persuasive and Annabeth definitely wanted her on the gym's side. 

"It will be worth your while," Annabeth promised, looking Piper square in the eyes. "He is putting in a lot of hard work. Maybe if you agree to work with us on a trial basis you could get a feel for everything." Annabeth said though she could see the uncertainty in the PR woman's face. Annabeth sighed and decided to just cut to the chase and be honest. "Look I'll cut the crap. Percy Jackson can be frustrating and arrogant, he has a temper. But I've also seen him put in the work to help paint this gym and to pull his weight. He's not perfect and neither is this gym, they both have scars but he has my respect for trying to change his life." 

Piper slowly raised an eyebrow and then nodded her head. "Okay, I see you, Ms. Chase. I look forward to working with you both if you'll have me." 

It took everything Annabeth had inside of her to keep from screaming with excitement. She didn't want to scare Piper off, so instead, she stood to her feet and shook Piper's hand. "We'll be in contact." She replied evenly, still trying to hide her smile. 

Now that she mostly assembled Percy's team, she was feeling a lot more relaxed. Reyna and Frank would be in charge of Percy's combat training. Will and Hazel would take care of the medical and nutrition side of things, and Piper would be responsible for public relations. Hopefully, once they got the ball rolling Annabeth would be able to book him a smaller fight to see if he was making any progress. Now all she needed was Percy to play nice with Rachel Dare and then if they were lucky, things would fall into place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really just want to thank each and everyone of you who have joined me on this journey. It's going to be a fun one, and I appreciate every kudo, comment and subscription. You all are the best.


	7. Chapter 7: The thing about a riptide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy meets with Rachel Elizabeth Dare and she asks him some questions. Then later he meets the rest of his team. Chiron isn't too thrilled with how close Annabeth and Percy are becoming.

“I expected you to be taller.”

As far as first impressions went, Percy wasn’t sure that Rachel insulting his height made a good one. He stared at the women and arched a brow. She was beautiful, but with her glasses on and hiding behind a beanie and a MacBook, she looked a little nerdy. 

“I am sorry to have let you down,” Percy said evenly. He was getting a lot better about keeping his temper in check. 

“Surely, I am not the first girl you’ve let down,” Rachel replied, the corner of her lips twitching up into a smile. She was joking, of course, merely trying to see what Percy would do. 

“I haven’t even been here a minute and you’re already roasting me.” Percy took a seat across from her at the coffee table. He let her comments slide off his back and regarded her carefully. “Valdez says you are skilled at making documentaries.” 

Rachel shrugged her shoulders. “This one is my first, but I think I have a real vision for it. It’s nice to meet you, Jackson.” She said shaking his hand. 

“Can I ask you why you were willing to do your first big documentary on me?” Percy was curious to know what she thought about him. Whatever her feelings were, they were most likely going to be reflected through the lens. 

Rachel paused for a beat, really trying to think about how she wanted to answer his question. “I guess I want to prove that people can change for the better. That they can learn from their mistakes and find redemption. You screwed up Jackson, you lost a big fight, but that doesn’t need to be the end of the story. We saw you fall, now I want to see you rise.” She said, forcing herself to look him dead in the eyes. 

Percy could hear the passion in her voice and decided at that moment, that she seemed trustworthy. He relaxed a little bit, deciding that he didn’t have to be on his guard as much. “Alright, so I suppose you have some questions for me?” 

Rachel nodded slowly. “Yeah, I have a couple of questions. Do you know who your first comeback fight will be against?” 

Percy shook his head. “I am not sure I am ready to be back in the octagon anytime soon. I am just getting back into a healthy ring shape.” 

“Whose training you?” Rachel was now scribbling down notes furiously.

A rare burst of pride flared in Percy’s chest. “Reyna Ramírez-Arellano.” 

Rachel actually looked impressed. “I haven’t heard much about the Lion of the Legion in a couple of years. How did you manage to get her?” 

“I met her at a bar if you would believe it. I was being stupid and almost threw away my sobriety, she reminded me of why I shouldn’t.” Percy admitted, his voice softening as he mentioned his almost slip. 

The reporter in Rachel could smell blood in the water as Percy talked about almost throwing away his sobriety. She wanted to ask about it, but something held her back. It was important for him to be able to talk about his struggles, but if she put him on the defensive, it was only going to ruin any opportunity at building trust. 

“You’re training at Chiron Brunner’s old gym? How do you like it?” Rachel asked, choosing to go in a different direction with her questioning. 

Percy let out a low chuckle. “The Olympus gym and training facility has a lot of heart, let’s just put it that way. It’s actually going through some renovations right now to turn it into a proper fighting gym.”

“A fresh start for the gym and the fighter, I like that.” Rachel resumed scribbling down her notes, trying to be as detailed as possible. “Are you getting along with the staff?”

“There are a lot of different personality types in the gym, so it takes some time to learn how to properly navigate. I am lucky to have the people in the gym that I do, they are all dedicated to my success but also my well-being.” Percy wasn’t sure if he ever had people on his old team that actually cared about him outside of Grover. Thinking of Grover made him feel heartsick though, so he tried to push that down. 

“How about love interests, anybody catching your eye?” The whole world had heard about the doomed relationships Percy had been through. They had been good magazine fodder because it kept the masses entertained like a bad train wreck. 

Percy frowned and shook his head. “Not at the moment. I’m focused on recovery and getting back to fighting. I need to get my life straightened out before I can even think about putting somebody else in it.”

“That’s pretty wise thinking.” Rachel sighed softly and set her pen down. “Off the record, I really do hope you make a successful come back. I have to film a few of your training sessions, but I’ll try to stay out of your way. I wish you luck Percy.” 

Percy rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, unsure of what to say in response. “Thank you, I guess I’ll be seeing you around then.”

Rachel flashed a bright smile. “Yes, yes you will.”

\-------

Annabeth checked her watch and then glanced up to the second floor of the gym. It was about eight in the morning on a Saturday and Percy still hadn’t come down yet. She had assembled the new members of his team so that he could meet them, but apparently, he had decided he had better things to do. 

Irritation blossomed in her heart as she stopped up the stairs and pounded on the apartment door. Slowly the door swung open to reveal a tired-looking Percy. Percy’s hair was tousled and he was clad in only a pair of boxers. 

The gym owner found herself unable to speak for a moment, her eyebrows shooting towards her hairline as she found herself staring at Percy. “Why aren’t you dressed?” She asked, finally finding her voice. 

“I was sleeping,” Percy said, clearly still tired. 

“It’s eight in the morning.” 

Percy blinked. “So? It’s Saturday and it’s my day off. I was sleeping in.” 

Annabeth frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. “I sent you an email yesterday, you’re supposed to be meeting the rest of your team. They are waiting for you.” 

Percy groaned loudly, half tempted to just shut the door in Annabeth’s face. He was tired from the workouts Reyna had him doing. “Fine, give me a minute and I’ll be downstairs.” He relented, he wanted to make a good impression on the members of his support team, but he wasn’t happy about his weekend being interrupted. 

Annabeth nodded and walked downstairs, managing an apologetic smile. She had invited Reyna and Frank so that Percy would feel comfortable when he met Piper, Hazel, and Will. Of course, Nico had heard that there was going to be free coffee and donuts, so he had Chiron had shown up as well. 

A couple of minutes later Percy emerged from upstairs looking more put together. He had put on an old shirt and some jeans, somehow taming his hair so it didn’t look as crazy. He plastered a smile on his face and cleared his throat. “My apologies for being late, I overslept. It won’t happen again.” He promised, not wanting to throw Annabeth under the bus. 

“It’s alright, it’s nice to meet you, Percy,” Will said, getting up and moving to shake Percy’s hand respectfully. “I’m Will Solace, Ms. Chase hired me to aid with your physical therapy.” 

“I’m Hazel Levesque, I’m a nutritionist and a massage therapist.” Hazel shook Percy’s hand as well. 

Piper on the other hand regarded him with a cool expression, trying to gauge the fighter in front of her. “My name is Piper McLean, I’m a public relations agent.” 

Percy nodded to each of them in turn, looking them in the eyes and acknowledging them. “It’s a pleasure to meet all of you. I appreciate you being on my team.” 

Annabeth watched her fighter curiously, taking great interest in the way that Percy attempted to make eye contact and engage with each one of them. Not that she was going to admit it to him anytime soon, but she was starting to think that she had misjudged him. There seemed to be more to Percy than what the tabloids had said about him. He could be infuriating and he had his moments of trying her patience, but he could also be caring. 

Clearing his throat, Percy shifted his attention to Reyna, his coach was watching him intently. “Perhaps we could give everybody else a demonstration of what we’ve been working on. I want to show them my progress so that they know what they’re getting.” 

Reyna nodded and lightly tapped Frank on the shoulder. “You up for it big guy?” 

Frank, who had been making eyes at Hazel, blushed and shifted towards Reyna. “Yeah, of course, let’s show them what Percy can do.” 

For the next hour and a half, Percy felt almost normal again. Any signs of his fatigued seemed to drift away as his body fell into the motions of fighting. It was nice to have a little crowd around watching as he fought against Frank, dancing around the boxing ring and throwing different combos and trying for various takedowns. For his part, Frank made Percy work for every single lock-up, forced him to actually try and put in a lot of effort. 

Annabeth was impressed, but her focus was on the new members of Percy's team. She was more curious about how they would react to him. Hazel and Will both seemed to be making mental notes about Percy's form and talking to each other, occasionally making gestures towards Percy's knee. 

Percy had been getting a lot better about not favoring his knee in the sparring matches but he still did occasionally and he didn't often throw kicks with that leg as much. Annabeth had noticed it and she knew that the media would zone in on it during his first comeback fight. 

Chiron placed a hand on Annabeth's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "He's impressive to watch." 

"There's a reason they called him Riptide, you definitely don't want to be caught up in him. He'll chew you up and spit you out." Annabeth had been doing her research, watching old tapes of Percy fighting. He had been cocky back then, but there had been no denying his talents. 

"I think his nickname might extend past fighting," Chiron remarked quietly, giving Annabeth a knowing look. Chiron wasn't dumb, he had seen their interactions and the had felt the tension. He just didn't want to see Annabeth get hurt, nor did he want whatever was there interrupting Percy's progress. 

Annabeth flushed a little bit and folded her arms over her chest. "You're mistaken, Chiron if you are hinting at what I think you are. I have no interest in Mr. Jackson outside of the mutually beneficial business partnership." Annabeth promised, looking Chiron dead in the eyes. 

Chiron studied her and gave a thoughtful hum. "The thing about riptides is that once they pull you in, it's hard to get out. Protect your heart and yourself Annabeth." Chiron warned, squeezing her shoulder once more before walking away. 

Annabeth felt her mood sour and sighed heavily. She could see that the others were still impressed with Percy, but she no longer wanted to watch him train. She turned to Nico and nudged him. "I have some business calls to make, can you make sure to answer any questions that the rest of the staff might have?" She didn't give him time to argue and walked up the stairs. If she had still been watching, she would have noticed that the second she left Percy lost his focus for a moment and Frank landed his only real solid hit of the day. 

While Annabeth hadn't noticed, Reyna certainly did. She glanced between the two and rolled her eyes skyward. "Idiots," Reyna muttered under her breath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everybody who is reading this story, I appreciate it!!


	8. Chapter 8: Let's not tell Reyna about this

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy has to deal with two awkward confrontations in one day. Annabeth is trying to get Percy his next fight and it isn't going as well as one might expect.

Percy stared at his phone and frowned, realizing that he still hadn't heard from his mother. She hadn't texted him back. He wasn't sure what he expected, but this wasn't it. He ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the dark strands in frustration. Percy wanted her to forgive him, but he couldn't force it, it was her forgiveness to give and it wasn't something he was owed. Now that he was sober, he could recognize all the pain he had put her, Tyson, and Grover through. 

An uneasy feeling settled in Percy's gut as he tried to push those feelings away. He finished getting dressed and walked out of the locker room. It had been a grueling day of practice and he was ready to just relax. However, he soon found Reyna waiting for him outside of the locker room. 

"We need to talk about something, Jackson." 

Percy cautiously raised a brow. "About what?" 

Reyna glanced over her shoulder, up towards Annabeth's officer. "We need to talk about your feelings for the boss." 

Percy's face heated up and he abruptly dropped eye contact. "I do not have any feelings like that for Annabeth. She's a pain in my neck." He protested, trying to play off whatever his coach was insinuating. 

"Is that why whenever she walks by the ring you lose focus? She's very pretty Percy, but I need to make sure you are focused. I don't want to see you get hurt, this could blow up in your face and ruin your chances at a comeback." Reyna wasn't sure how Percy would react if Annabeth didn't share his feelings, or rather what would happen if she did. Mixing business and pleasure was never a good idea. 

"Look she is pretty, I agree with that. I'll do better not to lose my focus, can we drop this conversation?" Percy asked, almost pleading with her. There was a high chance that she wouldn't feel the same way as him but he didn't need Reyna of all people throwing that in his face. 

"Sure, I am sorry Jackson. I really am trying to look out for you." Reyna said, her expression softening. 

Percy nodded weakly. "Yeah, I understand." Truly a piece of him did understand, but he didn't like being called out like this. There was still a prideful piece of Percy that wanted to feel powerful and desired. He had lost a lot, mostly due to his own mistakes, but being told who he could and couldn't have feelings for irritated him. 

Reyna frowned, she could tell that she had offended him a little bit and that wasn't her intention. She liked Percy, she could see a lot of potential in him, but his inability to stay focused on the big picture could cost him. "You are a great fighter Percy, I honestly think you could be one of the best in the world. You need to keep your eye on the prize though. I know it's none of my business and I'm sorry, just stayed focused okay." 

The former champion rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "You are right about one thing, it's not your business. I do appreciate you looking out for me." Percy could tell her heart was in the right place, but he didn't want to discuss his feelings for Annabeth anymore. 

\----

Annabeth was trying to act more relaxed than she currently felt. She had driven out to meet Leo in one of his many office buildings, she couldn't deny that the Silicon Valley inventor was unimaginably wealthy. Annabeth had met a lot of well off people in her life, compared to them her own trust fund was a considered meager. But her trust fund had been enough to keep Chiron's gym afloat and for her to live off considering he hadn't really been able to pay her a livable wage. Leo Valdez's money was on a whole different planet it seemed. 

The conference room that she was sitting in alone, was furnished to a ridiculous degree. There was a large minifridge, a big screen tv on either end of the conference table. Each of the chairs at the table was comfortably cushioned and made with the finest leather. If Leo was trying to flaunt his wealth, then he was succeeding. 

Annabeth felt a little bit on edge, sitting here in a fancy officer boardroom. She felt out of her league and she was really starting to wonder why Valdez would want to invest in the gym and Percy's comeback of all things. It wasn't like he would need the money if Percy made any, there was no doubt Valdez was set for life, at least a couple of times over. 

Leo walked into the room a few minutes later, one of his many assistants at his side. He flashes Annabeth a warm smile and nodded. "I was surprised when Calypso told me you called and wanted a meeting. It's good to see you, Ms. Chase." 

Forcing a smile, Annabeth stood to her feet and shook his hand, not wanting to be rude. She needed this business relationship to work out. "You as well Mr. Valdez. There is a reason that I wanted this meeting, I was hoping you could help me with something." 

"Straight to the point, not one for beating around the bush are you?" Leo chuckled and plopped down in one of the chairs across from her. "Well, what do you need help with Annie?" 

Annabeth's eyes twitched a little at the nickname, it made her blood boil. "I need to find a good opponent for Percy. A small fight to get him on the map again. I know you have connections, can you make that happen?" 

"Do you want me to get him an easy fight, somebody who will take a fall?" Leo asked. 

Horror-struck, Annabeth quickly shook her head. "No! I don't want somebody to throw a fight for Percy. I believe he can win the fight, but if he loses it, it'll be because the other guy was better. I don't know what kind of operation you think I am running Mr. Valdez, but I can assure you, we don't cheat." Annabeth was livid now, angry that the inventor would even think something like that. 

An amused smile crossed Leo's features and he simply nodded. "A real fight then, I'll see what I can do for you, Ms. Chase. Send my regards to Percy, I am looking forward to watching him compete again." 

"That's it?" Annabeth had expected him to ask more questions. Expecting that there would be some kind of catch or that he'd have more to add. His reply made her even more on edge because Annabeth wasn't sure how to react to it. 

Leo nodded. "I'll be in contact, I can assemble a list of potential opponents and then get back to you. Is there something else you need?" He questioned, his gaze narrowing just slightly. 

"Now, I am sure you're very busy. Thank you for taking the time to meet with me." Annabeth excused herself and just made her way to the car. She wanted to find Percy an opponent and help him start working his way back up the ladder in the fight world. Leo's words were still troubling her, she felt like she knew Percy well enough to know that he wouldn't take a fixed fight. It bothered her that Valdez had even suggested it. A seed of doubt had been planted in her mind though, what if Percy's knee wasn't going to be able to hold up? 

\-----

Percy had been out for a jog, taking the time to clear his mind after one of the classes with Reyna and Frank. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, helping teach self-defense to other people was making him feel a little better. There was an elderly woman in the class, who struck him like a grandmother, but she had a nasty little jab. She always brought sweets for the class and it made Percy’s week whenever he saw her. 

This time the little old lady had asked him to walk her to the car. She had told him about how her family was coming into town, it had made Percy think about his own family. So after he made sure she got to her vehicle safely, then he had gone for a jog. He was still working on building up his cardio, Reyna had told him that he needed to be able to keep going in the octagon even after he had taken a beating. 

Running had always helped clear his mind, not in the way that fighting had, but it still gave him a bit of a release. His pace wasn’t as good as it used to be, but he had been slowly building up how long he could go before his knee would start to protest with strain. Percy was nearing the gym when he noticed an odd-looking man staring in one of the side windows. 

“Can I help you, sir?” Percy asked, immediately on edge. The man was wearing a trench coat and looked more than a little sketchy. 

The stranger’s hair was cropped short and he looked like he hadn't slept all that well in weeks. “You’re Percy ‘Riptide’ Jackson.” He said Percy’s name as if he was in some sort of disbelief. 

Percy’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Yeah, what about it?” 

“My name is Lee Fletcher, I am a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle. I heard from a source that the great Percy Jackson was in town and training at this gym. It’s a bit of a dump though isn’t it?” Lee asked, giving the gym a disgusted glance. 

Almost immediately Percy felt the urge to deck the guy in the face, now that he was closer he could smell the scent of booze rolling off the man. “I like it here,” Percy said trying to rein in his temper before it reared its ugly head. 

Lee smirked and shrugged. “I guess it just goes to show how far you’ve really fallen then. Two years ago, you wouldn’t have been caught dead in a gym like this. My source tells me you’re trying to make a comeback, any truth to that?” 

“No comment,” Percy replied, wanting to end the conversation and get inside of the gym. 

“Do you think you could really make your way back to the top? Luke Castellan has looked more and more dominate in every fight, while you’ve been trying to crawl your way out of the gutter.” Fletcher continued, knowing he was starting to get under Percy’s skin. 

Percy dug his nails into his palm so hard, they left angry little crescent moons. “I said, no comment,” Percy said a little bit more forcefully as he moved past Lee. He reached for the door when Lee caught his wrist and pulled him close. 

“I see you have a sobriety chip, I am surprised you actually got clean or did you buy that like you bought most of your fights?” 

Percy was seeing red now and turned around shoving Lee Fletcher off of him. He watched as the reporter stumbled back and tripped, falling flat on his backside. “I never bought an opponent. Go back and watch my fights, I won them all cleanly.” 

Lee shot to his feet and shoved Percy hard. “You aren’t as tough as you think you are Jackson. You try to make a comeback in this sport and they’ll mope the floor with you. You are a washed-up has-been.” 

Percy rolled his eyes. “You need to leave, you aren’t welcome at this gym.” He warned. He was itching to punch this guy’s lights out, but he knew Annabeth wasn’t going to like that very much.

“How’s your mom Percy? Did she ever forgive you for almost killing your brother? Wasn’t he blind?” Lee continued to taunt, clearly taking joy in the fact that he had gotten a reaction.

“If you don’t leave right now, I’ll take my fist and shove it so far up your--”

Percy was interrupted as the door to the gym swung open and Annabeth walked out. She had seen the duo scuffling from her upstairs office window. She took Percy by the elbow and roughly dragged him inside, before shutting the door in Fletcher’s face.

“What the heck?” Percy questioned, his eyes narrowing.

Annabeth looked angrier than Percy had ever seen her before. “Are you seriously that stupid seaweed brain? He was trying to goad you into a fight and you put your hands on him.” 

“You should have heard what he was saying. He’s lucky all I did was push him.” Percy muttered, meeting her gaze defiantly.

“I don’t care what he was saying. You have to check your temper, let people’s crap roll off of you. Not everything in your life can be solved by punching it, Percy. That may work in the octagon, but it won’t work in the real world.” Annabeth warned before her expression softened but only marginally. She placed a hand on his shoulder giving it a gentle squeeze. “Look I know the past year or so hasn’t been easy for you and you’ve been making a lot of progress. Don’t let dickheads like that guy get you down okay? Focus on the big picture.” 

Percy was still angry but took a deep breath to calm himself. “My mistakes have cost me a lot. I’ve been beating myself up for a long time, he just hit some weak spots I guess.” 

“You miss your mom?” Annabeth phrased it as a question, but they both knew it was more a statement of fact. “I’ll see if I can get into contact with her for you. I need to make a call to Piper so she can handle that guy, but maybe afterward she can use some of her sources to put you in contact with your family.” 

“There is a reason my family isn’t receptive to my calls. I can’t force them to talk to me Annabeth, I burned those bridges on my own.” Percy frowned and glanced at the ground. He hadn’t meant to cause her any trouble. “I need to probably go take a shower or something.” 

Annabeth felt her heartbreak for him. “I know it doesn’t mean much, but Chiron, Reyna, even me… we can all be a family.” She offered, trying to make him feel a little better. 

“Thanks, Annabeth.” Percy managed a weak smile and then walked past her to go upstairs to his apartment. He was half-way up when he remembered something. “How did your meeting with Valdez go?” 

Annabeth groaned and shook her head. “He’s a royal dick, I am not sure if I want to strangle him or thank him for everything he’s done. He says he’ll work on getting you a fight though, he sent over a list of candidates.” 

Percy chuckled. “He does strike me as a piece of work.” He trailed off for a moment, thinking about what Reyna had mentioned earlier. He knew he shouldn’t be spending too much time with Annabeth outside of business reasons, but he also didn’t want to be alone. “Hey, Annabeth?”

Annabeth arched a brow. “Yeah Jackson?” 

“Maybe we could order a pizza and go over that list together?” Percy suggested, before jerking his thumb to place. “I just need a quick shower, but maybe we could narrow down that list until we find the right opponent.” 

Hesitating for a long moment, Annabeth weighed her options. “Alright fine, go shower and then meet me in my office. I’ll order the pizza and have it delivered.” She said, deciding that it wouldn’t be so bad if they ate it in her office. It would seem more business-related if they were sharing the meal in a more neutral location.

Percy flashed a warm smile. “Okay, see you in like twenty minutes then.” He said before walking into his apartment. 

Annabeth watched him go before sighing. “Maybe we just don’t tell Chiron or Reyna about this one.” She muttered quietly to herself, already knowing what they’d both say. One little thing that they didn’t know, wasn’t going to hurt them, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey so listen, I am sorry for the delay in updating. I've been working on my other fan fiction projects on a different account, and then also I have recently been writing soccer articles for a website. So low key I am kind of living my dream with that. Who knows those soccer articles might be my big break. I really love this story and I am trying to find my motivation and drive for it again.
> 
> Thank you all who are subscribing, commenting, kudoing. I love you all.


	9. Chapter 9: The octopus pt 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy's press conference with his first opponent since coming back leaves him rattled.

“Tell me his name,” Frank demanded, throwing a couple of jabs Percy’s way. “Who are you facing in your fight?” 

Percy dodged the first couple of jabs, and ducked under the last, hitting Frank with a blow to the ribs. He danced back out of the taller competitor’s reach. He had learned from experience that Frank had a nasty left-hook. They had been sparring for close to an hour now, but it was the most alive Percy had felt in a long time.

“I am facing Octavian Sol, from the Legion. They call him the Octopus because of his gangly limbs. He’s fast, not too powerful, but his speed makes up for it. He can throw an insane amount of punches per minute.” Percy recited dutifully. Reyna had been drilling him on Octavian for the better part of a week now. She had wanted him to be prepared for anything. 

“How many?” Frank questioned, not even reacting when Percy hit him. The dude was built like a tank and could take a beating. He advanced on Percy, using his longer reach to actually make contact. 

“How many what?” Percy asked, trying to avoid the hits. He was trying to focus on Frank’s questions as well. It was proving difficult as it seemed that Frank could spit out the words just as fast as he could throw questions. 

Frank lashed out with his foot, hooking it around Percy’s knee and taking him to the mat. Frank pounced immediately, but Percy managed to scramble away. Frank just chuckled and held up his thumb and forefinger about half an inch apart. “Almost Jackson. How many punches can he throw in a minute?” 

“I don’t know,” Percy admitted truthfully. “I know I am going to get hit, but if the plan I’m working on with Reyna pans out, then hopefully I won’t have to figure out how many punches he can throw in a minute.”

Frank laughed and shook his head. "Everybody has a plan until they get their bell rung. If he hits you good enough, your plan might go out the window." Frank pointed out, letting Percy get up, before coming at him again. 

Percy allowed Frank to get in a body shot, but Percy quickly retaliated by clocking Frank with a right hand that staggered the taller combatant. "Sometimes you gotta let them hit you, just so you can prove that you hit harder." 

"Alright enough of that, boys. Percy you need to go shower, we have that press conference in two hours and it won't do us any good if you look all sweaty like that." Reyna said as she made her way to the ring, flanked by the rest of Percy's team. 

Unfortunately for Percy, Annabeth was already at the press conference, setting things up. Apparently, Annabeth still didn't trust Valdez not to screw them over and wanted to make sure everything was perfect. Percy would have found that endearing if he didn't find it a little nerve-wracking. His team, including Annabeth and Chiron, were counting on him to win this fight and make his comeback. If he lost the fight, then it could derail his momentum. 

“Here I was thinking that if I showed up all sweaty, Octavian would be intimidated and give up.” Percy deadpanned trying to downplay just how nervous he actually felt. 

Reyna fixed him with a firm look and pointed towards the locker room. “Go shower, Jackson.” She said in a tone that left zero room for any argument. 

Percy scowled but didn't argue with Reyna. While Frank was a formidable fighter, he didn't scare Percy half as bad as Reyna did, the former lion of the legion didn't mess around. Percy took a shower, washing the sweat from his body before he got dressed. He made sure to stop by Will and Hazel, allowing them to check him over. He gratefully took the granola bar that Hazel offered him and munched on it. 

He had to hand it to her, Hazel really did know how to make the best granola bars. She always carried a few extra in her purse, so that Percy could eat them, while she helped work his muscles and knots out. 

"Are you ready for the press conference?" Will asked as he checked out Percy's knee. He was making sure Percy's range of motion was good after the sparring match with Frank.

"Yeah, I think so. I think it'll be routine, but it's been over a year, closer to a year and a half since I've had to do one." Percy didn't want to admit that there was part of him that was scared. Didn't want to show any weakness in front of his team. 

Will who was unusually perceptive just gave Percy's knee a light squeeze. "You'll do great, you want to make people pay attention. So at the press conference, just be you." 

Percy sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "I am not sure I'm good at being that version of me. I'm sober now and while I still love fighting, I am surrounded by the girls and the booze anymore." 

"You don't need that to be Percy 'Riptide' Jackson. You are the controlled hurricane, remember that." Hazel said, trying to pep-talk him. 

Piper by this point walked over, tapping Percy on the shoulder. "We should really get going, there's a town car waiting for us. I have a few talking points we should go over before you get to the press conference." 

Percy followed the woman towards the car, he knew she was better at the public relations stuff, but he was relatively certain he could still trash talk with the best of them. "I just need to tell Octavian that I'm going to beat him right?" 

"Well yes, but there will be reporters with a lot of questions. A lot of people will try and goad you into certain answers, you need to be prepared for that." Piper warned as she climbed into the car. 

Percy swallowed hard, wondering just how much of his past was going to be thrown into his face. He took a deep breath and climbed into the car, followed by the rest of his support team. 

\-----

Annabeth pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to alleviate the growing headache. She could feel it forming at the base of her skull and slowly spreading with each word that she heard exchanged between Valdez and his associates. Leo was awkwardly schmoozing it up with his colleagues, and while their support was crucial, the people struck her as rather pretentious. 

"You keep making sour faces and people will notice." Chiron chided as he appeared behind her. He was holding a glass of champaign, where he had gotten it from, Annabeth didn't know.

"You need to get rid of that before Percy gets here, we don't want to be sending mixed messages." Annabeth retorted, deciding to needle him back since he was getting on her case. 

Chiron rolled his eyes and took a pointed sip of his glass. "Don't fret, I won't be sharing any of it with him. I am just enjoying myself. Have you seen the competition?" 

Annabeth had in fact seen Octavian. He had gotten there a few minutes ago with his entourage. Annabeth didn't want to misjudge the other fighter, but Octavian seemed scrawny. She was petty a strong enough wind could knock him over. He was muscular, but not in the way that Percy was. Octavian looked underweight for his size and like somebody had badly superglued muscles to a stick. His eyes seemed to hold a cruelness to them, a sort of wide-eyed crazed glint in them. It was unnerving, to say the least, but Annabeth did her best not to pay much attention to him or his group of people. 

"He's something." Annabeth conceded after a long moment. She let out a sigh of relief as Percy emerged into the building, he looked a bit off-put as Piper was shoving what looked to be an index card in his face. She could see the flashes of irritation in his eyes, but he didn't react to her outside of just taking it. 

"Looks like our group is here, I'll dispose of this and be right back." Chiron downed the rest of his drink and went to dispose of it. He didn't want to cause Percy to relapse. All of Percy's supporters seemed to be under a consensus that this was going to be a big source of stress for the fighter. 

Percy seemed to notice Annabeth and made his way towards her, but right when he was almost to her, Valdez intercepted him. Leo wrapped a firm arm around Percy and ushered him up on a stage where Octavian was waiting. Octavian seemed to sneer as Percy got closer to him. 

"I suppose I should be thanking you for coming out of your retirement, if only for the fact that beating you will add a beautiful notch in my belt," Octavian commented, licking his pale and cracked lips. 

Percy cringed at the smell of the other fighter's breath. "Dude you seriously are in need of a mint. Anybody got a tictac for him?" Percy asked raising his voice so that it echoed around the room. 

Octavian's face turned a lovely shade of purple. "I am going to enjoy crushing you in your return. I'll kill your momentum faster then you killed your career. The only downside is I can't take your title, Luke already beat me to that, when he stole your dignity." 

Percy's hands balled into fists at his side, his old temper flaring to life. "You're lucky you're even in the conversation, the closest you'd ever get near a title is putting it around my waist like the little bitch are." 

Leo looked utterly amused as he stepped between them. "Now gentlemen please take your seats. I am sure the reporters have a lot of questions." He said, trying to keep order, though he was clearly loving the chaos. 

Reyna and Frank moved to Percy's side, sitting next to them, though the fighter wondered if perhaps it was just to keep him from ripping Octavian's head off. 

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Reyna asked quietly. She knew it was important for the fight, but she was a little worried about Percy now, seeing his interactions. 

"I'm fine." Percy retorted icily, his gaze still fixed on Octavian. It had been a long time since he had actually wanted to knock somebody's teeth down their throat. 

There was a decent amount of interviewers and journalists around, and they all seemed to be brimming with questions. Percy and Octavian both answered their questions, but it was clear that the majority wanted to know about Percy's decision to return to the ring and his recovery. The fact that Percy was getting more attention, clearly did not sit well with Octavian who was visibly fuming. 

Octavian's mood seemed to sour more during the weigh-in. He let Percy go first, then after he went and Percy got in the stance to take their promotional fighter picture, he shoved the recovering fighter as hard as he could.

Percy wasn't expecting it and staggered back, wincing as he took a wrong step. He hopped for a second, shaking out his leg before glaring at the other fighter. Octavian looked like a cat who had eaten the canary. "What the hell was that man?" 

"Reminding you that one wrong move and I'll end your career tomorrow. You might have been a champion once Jackson, but your riptide is about to get dashed on a rock." Octavian said, smirking smugly. 

"Tomorrow when I beat your face in and you're unrecognizable, take a long look in the mirror if you can see, and remind yourself that you're the one who provoked me," Percy said, his eyes darkening. He shoved Octavian hard, as hard as he possibly could, sending the other fighter backward into the table. 

Frank and Reyna were in the middle immediately, trying to separate the two fighters as Octavian surged forward to pick a fight. Reyna placed a hand on Octavian's chest, easily holding him back. 

"Look at this, two reject fighters who couldn't hack it. Didn't they call you the lion right Reyna? Well, it looks like you're just a dumb kitten." Octavian let out a laugh and stepped back, holding his hands up. "You always let girls fight your battle for you Jackson?"

Percy wanted nothing more than to rip Octavian's head off, but a look from Annabeth drew his attention as he shrugged Frank's hands off his shoulder. She waited until he was looking at her, before shaking her head no. Percy was furious but he slowly let the rage drain out of him, here wasn't the place. 

"I'll see you tomorrow in the cage, you better bring your best. I won't take it easy on you." Percy warned, before walking down the stairs and off the stage. He said nothing to Annabeth or the rest of the team just walked to the Towncar and got in. He didn't feel much like talking anymore, he was feeling an all to familiar urge to drink and was doing his best to shove it down.


	10. The octopus pt 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The showdown between Percy and Octavian, in the octogon.

“You seem distracted, Percy. Is there something wrong, what’s going on? You know you can talk to me if something is bugging you. It's not good to keep it inside,” 

Percy could hear the concern in Frank’s voice, he knew the former military officer was worried for him, but Percy didn’t need his concern. He was trying to get his head into the game for the fight against Octavian. Frank pressing him and asking questions, only served to irritate him a little bit. He knew Frank had good intentions, but having to deal with those questions took more mental energy the Percy was willing to expend.

“I am fine Frank. It’s nothing to worry about.” Percy lied, not wanting to get into details with Frank. He didn’t want to give him any reason to worry. 

“Well, that may be so, but I need you focused,” Frank said, squatting down in front of Percy to help him tape up his hands. “Where’s your head at, because I don't think your attention is on Octavian? If he gets you in a submission Percy, he'll win. You need to bring you air game and get your head on straight,” 

Percy’s eyes narrowed slightly, more severe irritation blooming to life in his chest. “My head is on kicking his teeth down his throat, and reminding everybody why I am the Riptide.” 

Frank nodded slowly, focusing on his task. “Look I believe in you Percy, just try and keep focused. He is going to do everything he can to get you off your game. It’s all about the mental battle with Octavian.” 

“I know that.” Percy snapped coldly before his face softened. He sighed and gave his friend an apologetic look. “Sorry, I just am feeling a little off. I want so badly to beat him, to prove that I am worth the risk everybody is taking on me,” 

“We want you to win obviously, but if you lose, we’re not going to abandon you. We’re a team, we win or we lose together. We have your back Percy, I know Reyna would go to the mat for you a million times over.” Frank said, tossing a look over his shoulder to where Reyna was in a tense discussion with Annabeth. 

“I don’t want to let anybody down.” Percy flexed his fingers and then put on his gloves. “I guess I am just ready for the fight to be over with. I think it’ll change once I’m in the ring, like muscle memory.” 

“You can be Octavian, just stick to your strengths. You have a longer reach and a more powerful punch. Wear him out and keep him away from your knee.” Frank instructed, trying to give him a last-minute pep talk.

“Are you ready to go Jackson?” Annabeth asked as she and Reyna walked over. She gave him a once over, the barest hint of a smile crossing her features. 

Percy stayed still under her scrutiny. He hoped whatever Annabeth was looking for, she found. “Yeah, I am more than ready. Let’s do this thing.” He mused as his music hit. 

\----

Annabeth took her seat near the front row, close enough to the cage that she could hear Frank and Reyna giving Percy some last-minute advice. She wanted to give him a pep talk too, but she wasn’t sure what she’d even say. Percy had been acting strangely the last few hours and when she questioned Reyna about it, the couch had shrugged her off. Whatever Percy’s mental block he was going to have to find his own way through it. 

That didn’t mean that Annabeth was any less worried. Her knee was bouncing so much that Chiron put his hand on her knee to make it stop. She shot him a grateful look, wishing she how the fight was gonna play out. 

The bell dinged and Percy and Octavian met in the middle of the cage, sizing each other up. Octavian immediately went for Percy’s knee, trying to try and take him down to the mat. All Annabeth could do was watch and try to cheer him on. She didn’t know what it was like to be in that cage, but she knew that if anybody could handle it, it would be Percy. During the time of his training in the gym, she had come to believe in him.

Annabeth watched with bated breath as Percy and Octavian exchanged blows. She could see them still feeling each other out until Octavian lashed out with a kick to Percy’s bad knee. She watched as Percy flinched back, but it was the open Octavian needed. He immediately pounced on Percy, driving him to the mat and hammer away at him. 

Percy did his best to cover and landed a hard right to Octavian’s jaw, which sent the other fighter sprawling. Percy scrambled for him, trying to lock in an armbar. He wanted to make Octavian tap, but it seemed like Octavian was faster and managed to scramble out of the lock.

The two went at it again, Percy managing to land a few shots to the ribs that slowed Octavian down, but only got hit with a haymaker that almost dropped him to a knee. Octavian kept trying to back Percy into the sides of the cage so he could pummel him.

“Come on Percy, get your butt up and into this thing,” Annabeth muttered, trying to will him on. She flinched as she witnessed Percy getting repeatedly struck in the face. Thankfully the bell rang, signaling the end of the round. 

Annabeth got up walking over to the cage where both Frank and Reyna were checking Percy out. She could hear Reyna trying to pep Percy back up and give him suggestions. Annabeth knew that the rest of Percy’s team were all silently willing him on as well, and she hoped that he’d feel their love and support. 

“Jackson, you can do this,” Annabeth said, giving him a look. 

Percy seemed surprised to see her. “I’m trying my best.” 

“I know you are. Look fighting isn’t my forte but I can tell you that he thinks he has you beat already. Draw him in and then knock his lights out.” Annabeth instructed, a familiar fire blazing in her eyes. “Knock him out for everybody that said you couldn’t make a comeback. Your demons are tougher than him. So show him why you’re Percy ‘Riptide’ Jackson. Show him why we believe in you!” She encouraged him.

Percy could feel a weird warmth blossoming in his chest as he thought about her words. She was right, he had faced down his demons that were a lot tougher than Octavian. What did his opponent know about losing everything? 

“I am going to kick his butt,” Percy said getting up and wiping the sweat from his brow. “I can do this.” He squared his shoulders staring Octavian down. 

Reyna nodded in agreement. “Remember that he’ll go for your knee, if you do something explosive he won’t expect it. He thinks you’re still favoring it, show him you’re not.” Reyna instructed. 

“Okay,” Percy put back in his mouthguard ready to go to war with Octavian. 

The second round started about the same but now Percy had a different game plan. He allowed Octavian to land a few lucky shots, pretending to act like he was favoring his knee. The blonde-haired fighter immediately tried to go for Percy’s knee again, throwing sharp kicks at Percy’s leg and thigh.

Finally, Percy began to fight his way back into it, moving with the quickness and ferocity he had possessed before. Percy was raining out body shots and stiff kicks, weakening his opponent's defenses. He hit Octavian with a punch that left him staggering, only to follow it up with a swift kick to the head that knocked him out. Immediately Octavian crumpled like a sack of potatoes and he didn’t move from the mat. 

Annabeth let out a whoop of excitement, grinning as a look of utter disbelief washed over Percy. He sank to his knees and slowly lowered his forehead to the mat, he didn’t want the camera to catch him crying which Annabeth understood. She gestured to Piper to handle the people wanting to know about his victory. Annabeth slid into the octagon, watching as Frank and Reyna exchanged a few words with Percy before helping him up. 

“I did it,” Percy said, locking eyes with Annabeth. He was clearly still emotional but doing his best to hold it in. 

“I am proud of you Mr. Jackson. There is a whole group waiting to celebrate-” Annabeth was cut off as Percy closed the distance and pulled her into a sweaty hug. She flinched but then slowly returned the embrace. 

“Thank you for believing in me,” Percy whispered, giving her a gentle squeeze. “Thank you for everything. You took a chance on me, and I know you didn't want too, but I appreciate it. Thank Annabeth, for giving me a reason to fight again” 

Annabeth patted his back and forced a smile, trying to dismiss the praise. She wasn't quite sure how to deal with his compliment, it made her cheeks go red. “Yeah, well we still have a ways to go, but you did it. You’re on your way back to the top, this is only the beginning Percy.” She mused, trying to be as supportive as she could. She pulled away from the hug allowing Reyna, Frank, and the rest of the team to swarm him and offer their congratulations. 

Annabeth wasn’t sure what the future held for Percy, but seeing him fight in person had definitely been an experience. When he had hit his stride, it was as though he was a whole new man. He looked more comfortable and at home in the cage than she had ever seen him before. She just hoped that they could build off of the positive experience and keep working towards the bigger goal. She didn’t want to watch him get hurt again.


	11. Chapter 11: An old friend comes back to town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An old friend comes back into town

Despite feeling sore from the battle he had gone through with Octavian, Percy felt like he was walking on air. Reyna had given him a few days off, to allow him to rest and recover but then insisted he get back to work. In her own words, she ‘wasn’t about to let his cardio slip’. One fight wasn’t going to be enough to get him a rematch for his former title. He was going to have to earn his way back up and he was essentially having to start from zero. Cardio and keeping his fitness up was going to be what helped him out in the long run. 

It still surprised him that he had managed to win, his confidence had been shaken during the fight, but he had managed to pull it off. However, he was well aware that in a lot of ways he had got lucky, he wasn’t going to be able to count on luck to save him in future fights. So despite grumbling a little bit, he appreciated the fact that Reyna was pushing him back into training. 

Percy wasn’t sure who his next fight was going to be against but he was going to do his best to be prepared. Annabeth had promised him that as long as he kept going to his AA meetings and staying on track with rehabbing his injury, she would have his back. There was a piece of him that wanted to impress her. Try as he might, he couldn't truly deny that he was developing feelings for the gym manager. She could be a real pain in the neck, but she had also been in his corner, cheering the loudest for him to make his comeback. 

The more he learned about her the more he understood that he didn’t truly understand her at all. Annabeth was complicated, everybody else in the gym seemed to think so too. She cared a lot about Chiron and his legacy, loyal almost to a fault, yet as time went on Percy could feel that loyalty being extended to him and the rest of the team. Annabeth was guarded, closed off in a way that made Percy all the more desperate to understand her. Sometimes she could come across as selfish, a little too arrogant and pushy, but some of the sharper and icier parts of her personality were beginning to soften and melt. 

A piece of Percy wondered what would happen if he and Annabeth had met in another life. He wanted to ask her out, but that definitely wasn’t the best idea considering their working relationship. There was a high probability that all of it would blow up in his face. 

Percy was doing some light cardio on the exercise bike when he saw Will approaching from the left. Will was wearing an odd expression on his face and cleared his throat as he stopped in front of Percy. 

“Everything okay Will?” Percy asked, slowly raising a brow. Normally the physical therapist was the dictionary example of cool, calm, and collected. Right now, Will seemed quite the opposite of calm, cool, and collected, he looked rattled. 

“There is somebody here to see you. He says he is an old friend.” Will said, nodding over his shoulder towards the door to the gym. 

Percy slowly turned and was surprised to find an old familiar face standing by the front door Grover stood by the entryway wring his hands nervously. Percy felt like his heart lurched into the pit of his stomach, he hadn’t seen Grover in the longest time. The shock of seeing his old friend again was enough to make Percy lose the rhythm he had been cycling too. 

Slowly he dismounted from the exercise and made his way towards the door. “Hey Grover, what are you doing here?” Percy asked, internally relieved he had kept his voice even. He felt like at any minute the earth might open up and swallow him whole. That’s how shaken he felt. 

Grover seemed equally uncomfortable and rubbed the back of his neck, shifting awkwardly. “I was hoping we could talk man. Do you have a few minutes to get a cup of coffee or something?” 

Percy swallowed hard and then nodded. “Yeah, give me just a minute to fresh up, I have some time.” He glanced over his shoulder towards Annabeth’s office. He wanted to bring it to her attention before he went out with Grover to talk. 

If anybody would have asked him a few years prior if he had to ask permission for anything, he would have laughed in their face. But he had done a lot of growing since getting sober, and he wanted things to go smoothly in his working relationship with Annabeth. 

“Sure,” Grover said, giving him a small nod. “I’ll just sit over there, these hills have been hell on my legs.” He made his way over to sit in the corner, to wait for Percy.

Percy cast a nervous look over his shoulder, before trudging up the stairs to go talk to Annabeth. He found her going through files and gently knocked on the door. 

“Hey, Annabeth can I talk to you real quick?” Percy shifted uncomfortably, trying to sound more confident than he currently felt. Seeing Grover again had him feeling shaken. He definitely hadn't expected Grover to show up all the way in San Francisco.

Annabeth glanced up from her computer and nodded. “Yes, sure, what’s up?” She asked softly, giving him a once over when she noticed the look on his face. He was looking like he had sucked on a sour lemon while simultaneously being punched in the gut. 

Percy was quiet as he found a seat in one of the chairs in front of her desk. He was trying to think of the right thing to say. “My friend or I guess my ex-best friend just showed up. He says he wants to talk to me.” 

Annabeth glanced out the office window down to the bottom floor of the gym. She could see Grover waiting there looking just as anxious as Percy did. “Do you know what he wants to talk to you about?” 

“Honestly I have no clue. Most of the messages I have sent in the past year have been sent straight to his voicemail. We fell out pretty hard. I would like the chance to apologize though.” Percy had a lot of regrets about the way he had treated Grover. There was a piece of him that did want to make amends. 

“If you go with him, is it going to trigger you and cause you to relapse? Is he a danger to you?” Annabeth wasn’t trying to be judgemental, but Percy’s well being was her business now. She wanted to see him successful. She wasn’t sure how to feel about Grover coming back into Percy’s life after he had just won a fight. 

“That isn’t who Grover is, he would never intentionally hurt me. If he triggers me, that’s on me, not him.” Percy said, following her gaze back down to Grover. The other man had been more than just a best friend, he had been like a brother to Percy. 

“Okay, then go with him. See what he has to say. If you do end up needing anything just call me and I'll come to get you.” Annabeth promised, giving him a small nod. She was giving him her blessing, she just hoped it wouldn’t blow up in either of their faces. 

Percy gave her a grateful smile. “Thank you, I’ll be sure to let you know how it goes.” 

He walked to the locker room to change into some fresh clothes. He wasn’t sure what Grover would want to talk about, but he felt like he needed to hear him out. Percy knew he at least owed Grover that much. 

Once he was changed he walked out to find Grover waiting for him, still looking nervous. “You ready to go man?” 

Grover nodded his head. “Do you mind if we take a car, the hills are killing my legs?” Grover asked. 

“Yeah we can take a car,” Percy said motioning for his former best friend to follow him to the parking lot. He climbed in and waited for Grover before starting the car. 

“I am going to cut right to the chase, Percy. I heard you were getting sober and that you have been doing really well. I guess I just needed to see for myself.” Grover said after a couple of moments. 

Percy’s grip tightened on the wheel, but he knew it was important for Grover to speak his peace. He hadn’t seen Grover in almost ten months by this point. He could still recall the way his mother had looked at him when she told him that she loved him but she couldn’t deal with his addiction. 

“How many months of sobriety do you have under your belt now?” Grover asked, trying to really study Percy and see if his best friend had changed. 

“Almost ten. I think I will get my ten-month chip at the next AA meeting.” Percy glanced over at Grover out of the corner of his eye. “It hasn’t been easy, but I can’t go back to the way things were.” 

“I heard you’re fighting again too.” Grover seemed to be treading lightly. 

A hint of a sincere smile tugged at the corner of Percy’s mouth. “Yeah, I actually won my first fight a few days ago. Annabeth who owns the gym has been helping me out, she’s got a whole bunch of people helping me stay on the straight and narrow.” 

“I am really happy for you Percy. Do you think fighting again is a trigger though?” 

Percy actually had to stop and think about that one. “I’ve never had the best coping mechanisms but as I have learned recently, it’s never too late to change your life. Fighting was the only thing that ever made sense to me, but Annabeth and the rest of the team are trying to help me find better-coping skills. I’m actually going to therapy on top of the AA meetings, it’s really helping.” Percy explained quietly. 

Grover once again grew silent, really digesting what Percy said to him. He had wanted to see with his own eyes what Percy was up to. Grover actually remained quiet until they got to the coffee shop and sat down. 

"I am going to be real honest with you Perc, after everything that went down with you and Tyson I didn't want anything to do with you. I never stopped caring about you, but I couldn't handle the chaos that was around you. It really hurt to watch you downward spiral. I am really happy that you seem to be getting your life back on track, and I am proud of you for getting the help you need." Grover finally said, looking Percy dead in the eyes. 

Percy felt his heart drop to his stomach, but he forced himself to sit there and hear Grover out. He had thought a lot about the way he had treated his best friend, and how remorseful he was. "I know I don't deserve a second chance Grover, so I won't ask you for one. I just would like to express how sorry I am. I apologize for all of the crap I put you through, I am sorry for treating you like you were less than. Grover, you saved my life and my career thousands of times over, and I am so sorry I didn't show that to you. I used you and abused our friendship, and I really regret that." 

Grover took a shaky breath. "Addiction has a way of really screwing people up. I appreciate you apologizing to me Percy, and I forgive you. I am not sure I'm ready to truly rekindle our friendship again, but maybe we could have coffee again sometime soon. We could make it a thing, to maybe meet up every couple of months and catch up." Grover suggested. He wanted to protect himself until he could trust Percy again. 

"I would really like that," Percy said, thankful for any opportunity to rebuild what he had broken and lost. 

Grover chuckled, the Percy that sat before him now, was a lot different than the Percy he had known a year ago. "So ten months sober, that's pretty impressive." 

"I am proud of it. Some times I can take it day by day, others it's a minute by minute thing. All I know is that I am moving forward, and I am calling things like I want them to be. Maybe it's a pipe dream but I wanted to be champion again someday. I want to rekindle my relationship with my mom and Tyson. I screwed up a lot Grover, but I know that I am willing to work to get it all back." 

"Well Percy, that's one thing I know about you, that has always been true. You know how to take a beating and come out on top on the other side." Grover lifted his cup of hot chocolate. "I hope you make the greatest comeback of all time Percy. I really do want you to succeed."


	12. Chapter 12: Storming the castle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another blast from the past comes to haunt Percy and it isn't good.

Annabeth sat in the middle of the training ring, her piles of papers spread around her. She was trying to organize things into the correct pile. More and more people were contacting the gym, trying to get a hold of Percy and figure out the latest news on his comeback. 

It was exciting to see such a positive buzz around Percy but at the same time a little nerve-wracking. She had witnessed his downward spiral and she didn’t want to see the fame getting to his head. So far, Percy seemed focused on preparing for his next fight. His head seemed to be in the game, which Annabeth was grateful for. 

“I got you some food. Chiron and I picked it up.” Percy said, pushing Chiron in his wheelchair. 

Chiron managed a small smile. “Wouldn’t you believe it, Percy decided he was going to do cardio by pushing me up and down the hills of San Francisco until we found the right Sushi joint.” 

Percy, whose cheeks were a bit pink from the windchill outside, merely smiled. “I needed a workout and some food, so I combined the two.” He said sheepishly. 

Annabeth giggled and rolled her eyes. “Sometimes I swear you have seaweed for brains.” She muttered but took the bag of sushi from him. “Thank you for this, it smells delicious. I had forgotten to eat breakfast.” 

“I figured you might have, you’ve been working hard,” Percy said, trying to downplay the fact that he had been paying attention to what Annabeth had been up to. He didn’t want to creep her out. 

Annabeth studied him for a moment, trying to hide her smile. “Careful there Riptide, I might start to get the impression that you care about me.” 

Percy blushed and shyly ducked his head. “Yeah, yeah don’t let it go to your head.” He muttered. He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. 

“So Annabeth my dear, what are you working on?” Chiron asked, nodding to the papers that surrounded her. 

“Well, people are trying to get the inside scoop on Percy. We’ve gotten some offers for potential fights.” Annabeth said, holding up some of the documents. She had been rifling through the papers trying to sort them into different piles. 

“You won’t need to be taking any of those fights, I have one for you right here.”   
Percy froze at the sound of a familiar voice. He slowly turned his head to find Luke Castellan, Thalia, and her brother Jason making their way into the gym. Luke had his title slung over his shoulder and a smug look on his face. 

“The gym is closed,” Chiron said just loud enough for them to hear. 

Luke glanced down at Chiron and snorted. “We won’t be staying long old man, no need to get up on my account.” 

“Hey watch your mouth.” Annabeth snapped, getting to her feet. She climbed out of the ring and got right into Luke’s face. “You aren’t welcome in our gym.” 

Luke slowly raised an eyebrow but completely ignored Annabeth, instead choosing to lock eyes with Percy. “I can’t believe you decided to start fighting again. I watched the footage from your fight, you could barely hack it against a weak opponent. I guess I didn’t beat enough sense into that brain of your Jackson.” 

Percy could feel his blood starting to boil. “Get out of the gym Luke, you’re trespassing.” 

“Ooh did I touch a nerve? I am here to give you a little bit of a reminder, if you somehow make it to the top again, I’ll be there to knock you right back down. In fact, we don’t need a pay-per-view to do that. I’ll beat you right now and save everybody their valuable time.” Luke said, handing his title to Jason and pulling off his shirt. Both Jason and Thalia looked extremely uncomfortable with where the conversation was heading, but neither of them stopped Luke's rant or interfered.

“I am not going to fight you, Luke-”

“Of course you aren’t, you’re a coward. You’ve always been a coward, you were just a fluke. A flash in the pan, and you’ll be a pathetic footnote in the history of the sport.” Luke laughed, intentionally mocking Percy. “You’re a smart man, why don’t you end your little attempt at a comeback before you get hurt.” 

Percy was furious now and roughly shoved Luke out of his face. “You want to talk about a fluke? You made your name off my back. You got one lucky submission, I could wipe the floor with you any day of the week. Even on my worst days, I’m ten times the fighter you are.” 

Luke condescending patted Percy on the cheek. “I’m glad you think so. Have your little assistant here look over this contract and we’ll see about fighting. We’ll see who the superior fighter is.” 

Percy snatched Luke’s wrist, getting him in a wrist lock faster than the champion could blink. For the slightest of moments, there was genuine fear in Luke’s eyes. But then the arrogant mask slipped back into place, and Luke connected with a punch to Percy’s ribs. 

“Let him go, Percy, he isn't worth it,” Annabeth said firmly when Percy didn’t release the hold. She didn’t like Luke either, but she didn’t want Percy getting dragged into another fight, let alone an unsanctioned one. 

Thalia looked just as uncomfortable as Annabeth. “Luke, that’s enough. You’ve made your point.” 

Percy reluctantly let go of Luke’s wrist, thought a darker piece of him wanted to snap Luke's wrist. He wanted to inflict as much pain as possible to get back at Luke. However the flash of anger actually scared him enough to let Luke go. That aggressive, bullheaded fighter wasn't the type of person he wanted to be. He shoved Luke away from him forcefully.

“Get out of my gym, and don't come back Luke.” 

Luke rubbed his wrist and then with stunning speed, swept Percy’s legs out from under him. He aimed two-well placed kicks to Percy’s ribs and the third one at Percy’s knee. Jason managed to pull him away at that point and began to aggressively manhandle the champion towards the door. 

“This isn’t over Jackson!” Luke roared. “Sign that contract and fight me like a man.” 

Annabeth hurried to Percy’s side to check him out. “Are you okay?” 

Percy was hurting but he wasn’t going to let Annabeth know that. “He got a lucky shot in. I’m fine.” He muttered, shrugging off her hands. He could feel the sushi that he had eaten earlier, starting to make a comeback. He limped towards the bathroom, not wanting to show weakness in front of Annabeth. 

Chiron was scowling as he watched Luke and his posse leave. “Should I call the cops?” 

Annabeth shook her head. “I don’t know what good it would do. I don’t think Luke is going to stop coming at Percy until he gets him in the cage again.” 

“Percy isn’t ready for that, it might be a long time before he’s ready to face somebody of Luke’s caliber.” Chiron pointed out. He knew how much progress Percy had made, but there was still a lot more to go. 

“You know Percy, the more that he’s goaded, the more he’s going to feel the need to prove himself.”Annabeth sighed, wincing as she heard the sound of Percy throwing up from the locker room. “I am going to call Frank and Reyna, maybe the rest of his team.” 

“Are you going to sign the contract then?” 

Annabeth shook her head. “I can’t make that decision, at the end of the day it’s up to Percy. But I hope he takes into consideration what the rest of the team has to say.” She was furious about Luke storming in like that. 

Percy had seemed like he was making strides, Annabeth didn’t want to see him get sucked back into impulsive and bad habits. 

\-----

“Percy?” 

The fighter was sitting in the locker room still, he had been hiding out for almost an hour. He wasn’t ready to face Annabeth, embarrassed by the fact that he had gotten his butt kicked in front of her but also because he had lost his temper. 

“Percy, it’s me I am coming in.” Reyna pushed her way into the locker room, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. “What are you doing?” 

“I guess I am checking out my new bruises,” Percy muttered, brushing his fingers along the bruised skin on his ribs. 

“Why are you hiding in here? Annabeth is worried about you.” Reyna walked over and took the seat next to him. “I heard Luke showed up.” 

Percy ran a hand through his hair, ruffling it more. “Yeah, he did. I couldn’t even defend the honor of the gym, how am I ever going to get my title back. Just when things are starting to go right, my past comes back to try and kick my teeth down my throat.” 

Reyna stared at him for a long moment and then snorted. “Are you throwing yourself a pity party right now? Look, Jackson, life ain’t a walk in the park, you know that. I don’t know if you’re ready to face Castellan or if you’ll ever get your title back, but I know for sure you won’t get it sitting here.” 

Percy’s scowled but he knew she was right. “I want to hurt him back, but I know I shouldn’t…”

“Oh no, given the chance I’d want to knock his lights out. The best revenge is earning your way to the top of the mountain and knocking him out when you get there. He wants to fight you now because he thinks you’re an easy target. Win your way back to the front of the line, don’t take the easy path.” 

He knew she was right, but that didn’t wash away the shame he was feeling. “He made me look like an idiot.” 

“I am pretty sure you already excel at doing that for yourself. I have eyes Jackson, I know you like Annabeth and I’m pretty sure she likes you too. She cares about you, we all do, keep your head on straight okay? Don’t let Luke Castellan of all people send you into a tailspin. Remember who you are.” Reyna reminded, lightly punching him in the arm. 

Percy playfully glared at her and rubbed his arm. “You’re right, thank you for the pep talk.” 

Reyna rolled her eyes. “Yeah, you were due for one. Now come on, Annabeth let it slip you got some sushi. We need to get you back into training.” She teased, tossing him a shirt. “We have to be ready for your next fight, the journey to the top of the mountain starts now Jackson.” 

Percy put on his shirt and nodded. “I think I am ready.” 

Seeing Luke had thrown him off his game, but he wasn't willing to admit defeat. If anything, it had lit a fire in his belly. He was going to make Luke pay for all the pain that he had caused. Percy wasn't the same person he had been in their last fight, and he couldn't want until the day that he could prove that to Luke and all the other doubters. 

"You better be Jackson, I think Frank has some of his own issues he wants to work through," Reyna called over her shoulder with a devious smile. Having been working with Percy for a while now, she knew she needed to get him out of his head. The best way to do that was to let him slug things out and spar with Frank. It would be therapeutic for both of the guys. 

Annabeth had been waiting to see if Percy was okay, but when she saw him emerging from the locker room with Reyna she backed off. Sometimes the gym manager didn't know what to say to Percy, but she knew that Reyna would have been able to get through to him. Annabeth watched Percy warm up with Frank and then grabbed her stuff to head upstairs. She had some thinking of her own to do, namely how to install security measures so that people would stop showing up unannounced to her gym. 

Annabeth made sure to send a message to Piper as well. No doubt Piper was going to have her hands full combating whatever wild crap that Luke would try to spin. Annabeth hadn't been around to protect Percy the first time he had faced Luke, but she was going to do her best to keep him grounded this time. She didn't want to see him get hurt again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to thank everybody who has subscribed or commented on the story. Thank you to everybody who bookmarked it or has left kudos. It means the world to me.

**Author's Note:**

> Buckle your seatbelts my friends, this ride is about to get bumpy. I have big plans for this story, and a lot of your favorite characters are going to be apart of Percy's Journey.
> 
> The cast of characters:
> 
> Percy ‘Riptide’ Jackson - Is a fighter who gets hurt and needs to find his path to redemption  
> Chiron Brunner - Owns the gym is a retired athlete  
> Annabeth Chase - Manages Chiron's gym and is struggling to keep it afloat.  
> Rachel Elizabeth Dare - Shooting a documentary on Percy’s comeback.  
> Grover - Percy’s friend from childhood  
> Reyna - Percy’s trainer at the Brunner gym  
> Nico - Annabeth’s assistant at the gym  
> Jason ‘Stormbreaker’ Grace - Another fighter that Annabeth will eventually hire  
> Frank Zhang - Reyna’s assistant coach  
> Hazel Levesque - Massage therapist  
> Will Solace - PT trainer  
> Piper McLean - Eventual PR person for the gym and Percy  
> Leo Valdez - Inventor/gym investor/one who hires Rachel Dare to make the documentary


End file.
